Proto Restaurant Group News

Super Hero Fun Walk

September 8th, 2011

On Sunday September 4th, Worthing hosted it’s very own Super Hero Fun Walk! The walk, which started at Worthing Lido and was sponsored by Proto Restaurant Group’s Worthing restaurant, The Fish Factory.

The Super Hero Fun Walk was organised as the main fundraising event for the Cath Lab Appeal. The appeal for the ‘Love your Hospitals’ charity was launched at Food restaurant in spectacular fashion on Thursday 9th June. (See this blog). The Love your Hospitals charity fund-raises for Worthing, Southland and St. Richard’s hospitals and Proto Restaurant Group owner Andy Sparsis, and his wife are patrons of the charity.

The event was a complete success and The Fish Factory was pleased to be part of such an important event and worthwhile cause. Andy Sparsis and his family all dressed up as Batman (and Woman) as they started the walk and encouraged hundreds to take part, raising thousands of pounds.

To hear all about it, come into The Fish Factory, Worthing. Book a table by calling 01903 207123.

The Sparsis Family

Posted in Charity events, Community Events, Events, Fish Factory Worthing, Sponsored events | No Comments »

Have you ever wondered how our restaurants look so good …

August 30th, 2011

Meet Tom McCarthy - Proto's Resident Building Contractor

Meet Tom McCarthy – Proto Restaurant Group’s resident building contractor. Tom has been our resident building contractor for many years now and he always finds the time for all work that needs to be done. He hand-built the bar in The Fish Factory in Littlehampton.

When Tom has some rare time off, he loves to study history. He is particularly interested in Medieval history and geographically, England, Ireland, Scotland and France are the most interesting countries because it is interesting how they all interact with one another. We asked Tom what his favourite piece of history was, and he said: “My favourite King was Richard III, he was a good man but the tudors gave him a lot of bad press. He was a family man and he brought in many good laws including making it illegal to lock a man up without a good reason. Richard III was also the last king to be killed in battle.” We think that Tom has a naturally ability to explain history really well, and we asked him if he had ever thought of becoming a history teacher. Tom confided that he would of loved to have studied to be a history teacher, but he had a wife and family to support so studying was not an option.

Tom is also a keen supporter of Portmouth Football Club and he also likes to woodturn in his spare time. He makes lots of gifts for his family. Lucky family we say!

Why not come down to The Fish Factory in Littlehampton and Worthing, and Food in Worthing, where you can see Tom’s handy-work for yourself. If you like what you see in our restaurants, let us know and we can pass his details onto you. Tom is currently in the pipeline of launching his website and we will keep you posted on this.

Posted in Fish Factory Littlehampton, Fish Factory Worthing, Food Restaurant Worthing, Staff | No Comments »

Meet the Team – Istvan Kundi

August 16th, 2011

It’s time to meet a member of the Proto Restaurant Group team again and this week we have interviewed Istvan Kundi, a waiter at Food restaurant to find out what his likes/dislikes are.

Istvan Kundi - Waiter at Food

How long have you worked at The Fish Factory?

Since May 2007, so just over the 4 year mark now!

So what did you do before working for Proto Restaurant Group then?

I have always been a waiter! I left school in Romania when I was 16 and became a waiter. Before joining Proto Restaurant Group I was working in Hungary for 6 years but I absolutely love it here at Food in Worthing.

Do you have any plans for the future?

No, I don’t have any immediate plans, I am really enjoying working for Proto Restaurant Group and am looking forward to my future with them.

What would you say the best part of your job is?

I don’t have a favourite part of my job, I love it all! I enjoy looking after people and making sure they enjoy their meals and being a waiter allows me to talk to a wide range of people and have lots of laughs and jokes along the way. It’s a really fun job!

What do you think of the new facelift at Food?

I really like it, it’s given Food a posher look without overdoing it and we still have the brilliant relaxed atmosphere we had before! The customers really seem to like it too, some things are very subtle but its proving a hit!

What is your recommended dish for us then?

Ooh, probably the Buda Pork Belly & Scallops, they are just divine; that said, I am also partial to a Fillet Steak so it’s a very touch decision! Everything on the menu is absolutely brilliant and the new dishes like the Lobster Polenta Soufflé are more than worthy additions.

What do you get up to outside of work?

The usual recreational activities really, Andy Sparsis (owner of Proto Restaurant Group) organises football for us every Sunday evening which is always good fun and I also enjoy swimming and going to the cinema!

Any favourite films then?

Nope! I am a lover of all films, no matter the genre!

Proto Restaurant Group and Food Restaurant

So there you have it, that’s Istvan Kundi, waiter at Food, Worthing. Why not come in and meet the whole team? Call us at The Fish Factory Littlehampton on 01903 715000 or at Worthing on 01903 207123 to book a table or come and see us at Food in Worthing, call us on 01903 227780 to book a table.

Posted in Food Restaurant Worthing, Staff | No Comments »

Proto Restaurant Group provides food at Garden Party

July 29th, 2011

Proto Restaurant Group’s restaurants, Food and The Fish Factory catered for the VIP area of Worthing’s ‘Splash FM Garden Party‘ last weekend. The event, spread over Friday and Saturday involved 6 tribute acts for Madonna, Robbie Williams, Phil Collins, Kylie Minogue, U2 and The Beatles.

Food and The Fish Factory provided all the food, drink and service in the events VIP area, catering for all the performers and event organisers. It was the 10th year running Proto Restaurant Group has been involved in the garden party and it was an absolute pleasure to be involved again. It required a huge team effort and the brilliant staff from both restaurants in Worthing helped out to make the event a huge success.

Splash FM Garden Party

The Garden Party provided 10 hours of live music over two days and is the largest tribute festival on the south coast. The event also took the opportunity to raise funds for the Worthing Churches Homeless Project which is a charity close to Proto Restaurant Group, having celebrated their 20th anniversary at Food restaurant back in May.

Both Food and The Fish Factory are pleased to be involved with such a success for another year and all the staff are already looking forward to next year.

Proto Restaurant Group are always happy to host your party or event at any of their restaurants, so get in touch at Food (01903 227780), The Fish Factory, Worthing (01903 207123) and The Fish Factory, Littlehampton (01903 715000) to get more information or to book a table.

Posted in Community Events, Fish Factory Worthing, Food Restaurant Worthing, Sponsored events | No Comments »

Food restaurant receives facelift!

July 16th, 2011

Proto Restaurant Group are pleased to announce the completion of the facelift work that has been going on at Food restaurant in Worthing, West Sussex. Work has been under way for the last few weeks to give Food a fresh look, but don’t worry, we haven’t changed too much of our much loved restaurant.

Andy Sparsis, owner of Proto Restaurant Group had the following to say about the changes:

“Food has kept the same good looking body, same lovely hands and same long legs, but we have had a snazzy new haircut so come in and check us out for yourself! Food is sexier than ever!”

Food Restaurant has had a lovely new inner-refit - come in and see for yourself!

Not only have we changed the physical appearance of the restaurant but we have been making some special changes to the menu making it bigger and better than before! The new menu now includes some more unique and exciting dishes and we have some real treats for you!

Our Starters have been boosted by the addition of our “Berliners Breakfast” – Knockwurst Sausage in a Black Pudding sandwich – and our “Samphire Scallops” – Scallops with garlic samphire sea vegetables. Check out our starters menu for more details along with the full lineup!

Our Main Menu just keeps getting better as well with our “Lobster Polenta Soufflé”, “Louisiana Street Food” and “The Admiral’s Luncheon”. Trust us when we say that descriptions do not do these dishes justice, you have to come in and try them for yourself!

Anyone for Dessert? Try our brand new “Hellenic Desire” for just £7.00 – authentic finger delicacies from the Mediterranean Greek islands, Baklava, gadaifi, gadalabourikou, leguo.

So now that you’ve heard all about the new changes, surely it’s time to come and check them out! Call Food on 01903 227780 to book a table now.

Posted in Food Restaurant Worthing, Menu additions, New Dishes | 1 Comment »

Andy Sparsis rides London to Brighton

July 2nd, 2011

On Sunday 19th June, Proto Restaurant Group owner, Andy Sparsis took part in the annual London to Brighton bike ride and completed the ride in under 5 hours. The London to Brighton bike ride is a fund raising event for The British Heart Foundation (BHF) and is 54 miles long from Clapham Common to Brighton Beach and has been running with the BHF’s involvement since 1980, raising over £40 million via a combined 650,000 + riders and their sponsors.

All 27,000 participants, whether taking part as a serious cyclist or a novelty entry set out to achieve the common goal of helping raise £4 million towards the BHF’s continued work.

Andy Sparsis, Warren Bagnall and David Camci.

Andy Sparsis entered the ride as part of a team of 5 including Executive Chef from The Fish Factory, Stuart Slevin and team members David Camci, Warren Bagnall and Daryl James.

Everyone at Proto Restaurant Group is extremely proud of the team and the group’s representatives within. It is just another example of the work Andy does for charity and the community having only just launched the Cath Lab Appeal for the ‘Love Your Hospitals’ charity.

To hear all about the bike ride, come in and see Andy and Stuart at The Fish Factory, Worthing by calling us on 01903 207123 to book a table, or visit either of the other two restaurants where Andy Sparsis is always likely to be by calling us on 01903 227780 (Food) or 01903 715000 (The Fish Factory, Littlehampton).

Posted in Charity events, Events, Fish Factory Littlehampton, Fish Factory Worthing, Food Restaurant Worthing | No Comments »

Cath Lab Appeal Launch

June 17th, 2011

The Cath Lab Appeal for the ‘Love your Hospitals’ charity was launched at Food restaurant in spectacular fashion on Thursday 9th June. The Love your Hospitals charity fund-raises for Worthing, Southland and St. Richard’s hospitals to help ensure that staff at all three hospitals can deliver the highest quality of healthcare we all need at some point in our lives.

Proto Restaurant Group owner Andy Sparsis and his wife are patrons of the charity, so it is very close to the hearts of all those that work for him, which is why Food restaurant was a perfect location for the launch of the Cath Lab Appeal.

The first major fund raising event for the appeal is a Superhero Fun Run and Walk along Worthing seafront on Sunday 4 September, 3pm at Worthing Lido. Keeping with that theme, a superhero/vigilante film was made at the launch. With crowds gathered outside Food restaurant, Andy Sparsis, dressed as Batman and arriving in the ORIGINAL car from the Batman films, saved a lady from being mugged.

Pictures of the event can be found at the ‘Love your Hospitals’ Facebook page where you can also ‘Like’ the page to receive news updates on the Cath Lab Appeal and all the other work the charity carries out.

Proto Restaurant Group encourages parties and events at all three of it’s restaurants, so why not give us a call today on 01903 227780 (Food), 01903 207123 (The Fish Factory, Worthing) or 01903 715000 (The Fish Factory, Littlehampton) to see how we can be the perfect venue for your event.

Andy Sparsis whizzing around the corner dressed as Batman

Donna Sparsis - Patron of the Love Your Hospitals Charity

Andy with Mayor Ann Barlow

Posted in Charity events, Events, Food Restaurant Worthing | 1 Comment »

Littlehampton Carnival Queen Contest at The Fish Factory

June 13th, 2011

Proto sponsors carnival queen

The Fish Factory in Littlehampton sponsored the Littlehampton Carnival Queen Contest for the second year in a row. This fabulous event was held on Sunday 20th March.

The winners were:

First place (Carnival Queen): Kirsty Alderton who is 17 years old. Kirsty comes from Littlehampton and is a student in the sixth form at Littlehampton Academy. Kirsty studies Sociology and English language. Her hobbies are football, stoolball, cheerleading and modern jive. Kirsty’s ambition is to join the police force. Well done Kirsty! Well deserved!

The Littlehampton Carnival Queen Contest runners-up were:

(Carnival Princess 1) : Jessica Taddick is 16 years old and comes from Rustington came a close second, Jessica is a student at Northbrook College. She is studying Hair and Beauty. Jessica’s hobbies are music, styling her friends’ hair and walking her dogs. Her ambition is to work with catwalk models by styling their hair. We wish we were Jessica’s friend – it would be lovely to have a hair stylist on tap!

(Carnival Princess 2): Last but by no means least, our second Carnival Princess is Nicole Weller who is 15 and is from Littlehampton. Nicole is a GCSE student at the Littlehampton Academy. Nicole loves cheerleading and is a member of Sussex Tournados. Nicole’s ambition is to work with special needs and disadvantaged children.

As we said before, this event was an outstanding success. The Fish Factory at Littlehampton is just the place to hold events and we can create exciting themed menus if you wish to hold a memorable event with a difference. Take a look at our website to see the mouthwatering dishes awaiting you at our fine fish and seafood restaurant in Littlehampton in West Sussex.

Posted in Events, Fish Factory Littlehampton, Sponsored events | No Comments »

Proto Restaurant Group involved for 10th year at Splash FM Garden Party

June 6th, 2011

DISCOUNTED TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR PROTO RESTAURANT GROUP MEMBERS
KEEP READING

Splash FM Garden Party

Proto Restaurant Group will be involved in the Splash FM Garden Party for the 10th year running when it comes to Worthing on 22nd and 23rd July. The Garden Party provides 10 hours of live music over 2 days from some of the greatest tribute acts around. This year features ‘Ultimately Kylie‘, ‘Achtung Baby‘ (U2 Tribute), ‘Millenium Robbie‘, Melissa Totten (Madonna Tribute) and ‘and finally Phil Collins‘ as well as great local support acts. The Splash FM Garden Party is the biggest tribute festival on the south coast and Proto Restaurant Group has exclusive access.

Splash FM Garden Party

As the only source of DISCOUNTED TICKETS, Proto Restaurant Group members can enjoy cheaper tickets to this amazing event thanks to all the work that Food Restaurant and The Fish Factory do behind the scenes at the garden party. Visit this link to get access to our exclusive offers including buying tickets for a night in the green room!

Proto Restaurant Group is in charge of the VIP tent at the party which means providing food, drink and service to all of the performers and event organisers. This requires a huge team effort and the brilliant staff from both restaurants help out enormously as well as the restaurants providing the food and drink for the event. Proto Restaurant Group, Food and The Fish Factory have been involved for the past 9 years in the same capacity and it is an absolute pleasure to be involved again.

Posted in Community Events, Events, Fish Factory Littlehampton, Fish Factory Worthing, Food Restaurant Worthing, Proto Members Exclusive Offers | No Comments »

Worthing Churches Homeless Projects Celebrate 20 years

May 13th, 2011

The Worthing Churches Homeless Projects celebrated it’s 20th anniversary this month and they held an event at Food on 9th May to commemorate this.

Over the last 20 years Worthing Churches Homeless Projects have helped several thousands of people, this would not have been possible without the support of the local community; together they have made Worthing a better place to live and that is worthy of being commemorated. Proto Restaurant Group were more than happy to put on the event at Food and it could not have been possible without the generosity of Andy Sparsis, owner of Proto Restaurant Group and Food restaurant.

Delicious Canapes were served at the event

The charity was started in 1990 by local Christians who provided soup, blankets and sleeping bags to local homeless people on Worthing seafront. Gradually over the years, this Christian charity has grown to include 5 projects, 50 staff members and over 150 volunteers. The Homeless Project provides a comprehensive pathway of care to those living on the streets and guides them to an independent life.

Worthing Churches Homeless Projects believe that everyone has the right to a home, regardless of the difficulties and issues they may face, or have faced in their lives. Proto Restaurant Group supports this and believes in showing those who need our help that the wider community is there to support them and offer them hope for a better future.

Trustees of the Worthing Churches Homeless Project

The projects work with some of the most vulnerable and excluded individuals in Worthing and the work they undertake is crucial. They offer accommodation and specialist support for those living in such accommodation to ensure a full recovery. Their work provides a platform for homeless or insecurely housed individuals to achieve sustainable, independent living.

Proto Restaurant Group is proud to be involved with this worthwhile and incredible charity and were more than happy to support their cause by holding the event at Food last week which was a huge success raising £1030 for the charity.

As always, Proto Restaurant Group and it’s restaurants Food and both of The Fish Factory’s are happy to put on events for your charity, business, special occasions so get in touch with us on 01903 227780 (Food), 01903 207123 (The Fish Factory Worthing) or 01903 715000 (The Fish Factory Littlehampton) to arrange your special event.

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