Recession Road: Brampton services
This post is from our Recession Road series, part of our .
We can't let a day go by on this road trip without stopping at a roadside burger van. We've pulled in at a service area near Brampton ().
Leaning on the counter of Roberto Russo's portable kitchen is Marcello Nocera. He's smoking a cigarette and supping from a polystyrene cup, as they chat. The smell of bacon draws us over like moths to the flame.
It turns out Marcello is on a fact-finding mission. He wants to know what kind of a living he can make when he starts running his own burger van in Bedford.
"I lost my restaurant three months ago because of the recession," he says. "After 12 years we had to shut down. Just like that me, my wife, my eldest daughter and our other staff were out of work."
Their Italian restaurant in Milton Keynes was one of a number they owned over 23 years.
He started noticing it about two years ago. Customer numbers were dwindling and big business clients were coming less regularly as they tightened their belts. Come this year, the landlord tried to put the rent up by Β£18,000 and Marcello spent thousands negotiating it down to Β£12,000. But still they couldn't keep up with the bills.
"I ended up working for the banks, the accountants, the solicitors. Eventually the landlord came in and changed the locks, kicked me out."
His wife is at least relieved that they no longer have to deal with the creditors breathing down their necks.
"Still now she cries, but then, every day she was crying."
Marcello - who was born in Italy and has lived in the UK for 25 years - is attracted to the catering van's lack of crippling overheads. Roberto says business hasn't suffered much during the recession, not least because the bacon, burger and egg rolls on offer are cheap and cheerful. Perfect recession food, you might say.
Marcello bought a van on eBay on Saturday, and is planning to go a bit more continental with his menu.
"I'm 52 years old, I've got a wife and three girls. I just want to make a living now."
You can read an explanation of our Recession Road series here. Words: Paula Dear; Images: Phil Coomes.
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