We like to think of Salvo's as one big happy family which includes all members of the Salvo's team, old and new. If you have worked at Salvo's at any point in time over our many years in business then we would dearly love to hear from you and what you have been up to since you flew the Salvo's nest. Please use our flown the nest form to let us know what you are now up to. If you have any pictures of your own then why not send them to us on email to be included in this gallery below (email address is at the very bottom of this page). And if you are still in contact with any former staff members who are not listed below then why not give them a nudge to contribute, as we want to have as many staff memories as possible on our web site. Thank you

SALVO'S FAMILY WHO JOINED US IN THE SEVENTIES
Dates shown indicate the time they spent working at Salvo's.

Please click on anyone's name to link to their profile.

Name: BRUCE TURNER

Worked at Salvo's: 1979 - 1980

What was your job? Saute / Red mullet, Veal etc

Where are you living now?Vero Beach,Florida U.S

What are you doing? Still cooking Mullet & Veal .LOL. Exec Chef of Tides Restaurant.Vero Bch. Consulting Chef Casa Ixchel, Isla Mujeres, Mexico. Spending most of my time doing research on the beach.

What overriding memory do you have of your time at Salvo's and who do you remember working with? The Salvo family. Salvo's on the Park. Thanks to Gip, Johnny, and Pop for setting the seed as I grew into the Chef that I have become. I miss you guys and so proud to be part of the Salvo family, so glad to see that you lead the way in innovative fabulous food. My home is always open to you and the Salvo's family So if anyone would like to visit Florida drop me a line and there will be a cold one in the icebox. P.S Gip I noticed you don't dye your hair anymore.

Name: PAMELA DUNN

Worked at Salvo's: 1978/9 - 1980

What was your job? Waitress

Where are you living now? Still in Leeds

What are you doing? I am now a practice manager for a dental surgery in Yeadon. Still working hard for a living!!! Still enjoy good food and an odd glass of the red - Salvo's taught me well!

What overriding memory do you have of your time at Salvo's and who do you remember working with? I remember free supper time and singing along to the boxer with Jonny playing the strings. And of course clubbing in Chapeltown after work in our smelly jeans. I worked with Gip, Jonny, Aldo, Pinouch, Mario, Gail, Janet, Theresa, Christine, Pam and of course one of the many Mathews girls not forgetting Mick, Tony and Steve.

Name: FLIP AUDEN

Worked at Salvo's: 1978 - 1979

What was your job? Part-time washing up whilst a student

Where are you living now? Cardiff

What are you doing? Part time admin assistant, part time woodcarver, full time wife & mother. When we came to visit our son who is a now student in Leeds (where my husband and I were also students) we had lunch in Salvo's Salumeria. It was brilliant food, and really friendly service. Our waiter showed us the family album book which was great.

What overriding memory do you have of your time at Salvo's and who do you remember working with? Tuna and canellini bean salad at the end of the evening. Scrubbing the horrible wooden meat racks. Gip giving me my first taste of octopus on the end of a fork - it was delicious! Gip & John deciding I should be called Margarita. I remember Salvo and a Mexican guy .

Name: JIM CARR

Worked at Salvo's: 1978 - 1979

What was your job? Apprentice washer-up

Where are you living now? Jersey,C.I.

What are you doing? Dispensing medication (legally!)

What overriding memory do you have of your time at Salvo's and who do you remember working with? Being the proud recipient of a limited edition lime-green Salvos T-shirt! An impressionable teenager at the time some of the extraordinary characters in the kitchen I remember well. Hector my mentor really belonged in a 1970s Starsky and Hutch episode and Angelo consuming more of the vino than went into his dishes.And of course the two main men - how little Johnny seems to have changed over the years, he always looked like a 45 year old accontant even at 20! Gip (like myself) is at least showng some of the ravages of time spent hanging around in dodgy nightclubs and holidaying in Bangkok. Happy 30th Salvos!

Name: ZIO PINUCCHIO

Worked at Salvo's: 1977 - 1996

What was your job? Maestro della pizza

Where are you living now? Leeds

What are you doing? I still visit the restaurant every morning before service , I need to keep my eyes on the boys, John and Gip often got distracted as children and they're not too old for a good telling off if they step out of line.
I make my own wine, grow vegetables and fruit in my greenhouse and look after my grandchildren Zalia and Miles. I like to spend a month or two in Italy in summer seeing family and old friends and getting a little sunshine

What overriding memory do you have of your time at Salvo's and who do you remember working with? I have beautiful memories of the many regular customers who came to eat my pizza, many would send  a nice courvoisier brandy to the pizza counter, I remembered what everyones favourite pizza was and never forgot a face!

Working with my brother in law Salvo, sharing a bottle of wine after work with Aldo, Angelo, Mario, Short in Brains, Kalimera (Janet), Mon Capitano (Gail), Sheamus (Caroline), Irish (Sharon) and all the other Salvo's Family over the years.

ZIO PINUCCIO passed away in March 2007
Yorkshire Evening Post tribute to Zio

Name: JEFF GLAZER

Worked at Salvo's: 1977 - 1978

What was your job? Mainly prep. (in that freezing garage)

Where are you living now? Still living in Leeds

What are you doing? I have left catering and now work for the Halifax in IT. I have been married for 26 years now and we have two daughters 21 and 23. The only down side to that is it is like being married to three women. But to tell the truth I love it.
What overriding memory do you have of your time at Salvo's and who do you remember working with? I first met Salvo and the family when Salvo opened Salvo's on the Park. I had been working at the resturant prior to the take over.
I continued to work there until I was asked to work at the restaurant in Headingley. I have worked with a lot of people in the resturant trade over the years, BUT there is no one I hold in as much esteem as Salvo.

Name: LES BROADBENT

Worked at Salvo's: 1977

What was your job? You tell me

Where are you living now? Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

What are you doing? I have had a restaurant for 20 years in a small town 30 minutes, northeast of Toronto.

What overriding memory do you have of your time at Salvo's and who do you remember working with? The late nite after work wine and bad singing session we used to have. Living with you guys for years, your mum bringing in the early morning cups of tea, and opening all the windows cos the room stunk so bad, Salvo scaring the s+*& out of me for over cooking the pasta. Keeping up with your uncle who was Mr Pizza and getting the food out on time for him. Bad punk bands!!! Trips to london for weekends!!! The Greek Experience there !!! New York, New Orleans,wot else Gip ??? Would I do it again with you guys - in a second. TIME CATCHES US DON'T IT. ALL THE BEST LES. p.s wot a great web site!

Name: CALI RUDDOCK

Worked at Salvo's: 1977 at Salvo's on the Parc and then over to Salvo's at Headingley till around about mid eighties with a few breaks here and there

What was your job? Waitress

Where are you living now? In Leeds

What are you doing? After lots of adventures settled down and have two kiddies. Work parttime for Surestart (a childrens centre) and am at uni p/t too.

What overriding memory do you have of your time at Salvo's and who do you remember working with? I remember when Salvo called me to the fridges at the back (we hated going back there cos it was spooky and cold). The lights were off and Jon and Gip jumped me, threw a bag over my head and tied me up with string (not to tight). I have never screamed so much as it was the days of the Ripper! I loved working there, they fed us well and always made sure we got a taxi home... and they paid for it too!! For years they thought I was older than I was, I actually worked the bar sometimes and I was only fourteen years old at the time! Love the photos and those t shirts we wore...fantastic!!

Name: STEVE BOND

Worked at Salvo's: 1976 - 1982

What was your job? Chef

Where are you living now? Skipton, North Yorkshire

What are you doing? I have opened my first coffee bar in Skipton called Bean Loved, which has now been open for 2 years. My younger son Wes is working in the business with me together, with 5 other staff members. Both Wes and I are very passionate about the quality and freshness of our coffee. We use a company who can roast our coffee and deliver it within 24 hours, it can not be any fresher. We serve all our drinks in cups with no handles and with latte art. Why not take a look at us www.beanloved.co.uk

What overriding memory do you have of your time at Salvo's and who do you remember working with? Pinu shouting his orders from his pizza oven. A great family feeling. Salvo, Gip, John, Pinu and Gail.

Name: ANDREA CONRAD (WILLIAMS)

Worked at Salvo's: Summer 1976

What was your job? Waitress in charge of Desserts

Where are you living now? Manchester

What are you doing? Sold out my company last year, started new business and wrote a book.

What overriding memory do you have of your time at Salvo's and who do you remember working with? I learnt to speak italian and ended up taking it at university and being an italian interpreter in the 80's - definately thanks to Salvos!

Name: JANE DENT

Worked at Salvo's: 1976

What was your job? Waitress

Where are you living now? London

What are you doing? I run a market, teach gynaecology, and design badges

What overriding memory do you have of your time at Salvo's and who do you remember working with? Gip and Les regularly had us in stitches. Thinking back, many of my memories are best left unmentioned. Mary, the washer-up.

Name: ANNE-MARIE THORSLUND

Worked at Salvo's: 1976 - 1977

What was your job? Waitress

Where are you living now? Back in the UK after 25 years in Canada

What are you doing? I'm a business manager for a publishing company based in Bradford. My job takes me back to Canada and the US one week of every month - so best of both worlds! Haven't been into your restaurant since my return - so can't wait to do that!

What overriding memory do you have of your time at Salvo's and who do you remember working with? Having a wonderful time and making great friends with Gip, Les, and John and my mate, Maureen. Not forgetting Aldo and Pinouche of course! The wonderful late meals and red wine when everyone had gone. The time Les and Gip made me eat an Oyster!!!!!!  Great memories!

Name: MIRANDA (MANDAY) FLINT (WAS MILLER)

Worked at Salvo's: 1976

What was your job? Waitress

Where are you living now? Down under

What are you doing? I am an editor and journalist for a multinational business information provider called Thomson.

What overriding memory do you have of your time at Salvo's and who do you remember working with? Family - the warmth, dedication and hard yakka of the Dammones and their enduring affection for each other, despite the inevitable disagreements. Kitchen - the craziness and mayhem when the mercury in the kitchen kept rising during rush hour. Pizza dough - Uncle Pino kneading the bread dough for the pizzas, puffs of white flour surrounding him like clouds and then thin discs hovering like UFOs in the air as he threw them into perfect shape. My mum still raves about those pizzas. Laughs - we worked hard and had a  blast at the same time. Salvo - I was a bit scared of Salvo. I always gave him my sweetest smile hoping he wouldn't shout at me, which he never did! Penne arabbiata - it was Gip's signature pasta dish for a while and it was awesome with a hit of fire from the chillis and the sweet tang of the tomato sauce. Lingo - I loved hearing the family and their friends speak Italian with varying degrees of animatiion, but no one would teach me the swear words!