About
Ventnor's Licensed, Coffee House, Winebar & Mediterranean Bistro
Living within miles of the water, our lives are entwined with the ocean; how we eat, how we work and how we relax. For chefs, Adam Fendyke and Giancarlo Giancovich, the sea has not only influenced their pass-times, but also their professional paths.
“Passion for food is in my blood”, says Giancarlo. With roots planted in Italy and China, he grew up in a household immersed in international flavours. “Hot chilli beef and beautiful lasagnes were the norm in our kitchen. When we moved to the island my father taught me how to spearfish. I fell in love with anything that involved fishing and started cook what I caught.”
A FEW MILES AROUND THE COASTLINE…
Adam’s flame for food had also been ignited. Torn between cooking and graphic design, he chose the latter and immediately showed huge talent in the kitchen.
His culinary career brought him to Ventnor’s Royal Hotel where he was sous chef for 11 years, intersected with stints at the kitchens of le Mannoir Aux Quat Season and Chewton Glen. “I lived, breathed and dreamed about food,” laughs Adam. “If I was writing and creating new menus I would go to sleep thinking about a recipe, then would dream about it and when I woke up would make it. 9/10 times these dishes became part of my cooking repertoire. It was during my time at the Royal that I met Giancarlo who had also become a chef.”
COOKING WAS A NATURAL…
Progression of my love of food but it was also a lifestyle choice,” explains Giancarlo. “The island is a seasonal place
My career in cooking was really the result of my love of travel and fishing in beautiful places. It meant I could work summer seasons and then head off to tropical countries during the winter. Following the Royal Hotel I worked at the Hamborough and the Pond Café before me and Adam reconnected at Goodman’s Bistro.”
IN 2010 GIANCARLO AND ADAM…
Took an extended spearfishing holiday to Indonesia. Following this they pooled their combined love of food, fun and international flavour and launched Tramezzini in Ventnor.
“Our idea was to open a place where we could serve fresh, exhilarating Mediterranean inspired food and where the atmosphere would be really alive. We wanted to bring amazing food to people in a relaxed way whilst giving them a real flavour of who we are; mixing up the best locally caught seafood, seasonal products, raw talent and with a twist of travel and adventure,” says Adam.
WINNER OF TRIP ADVISOR THREE YEARS IN A ROW…
Tramezzini has continued to be a popular destination for islander and tourists. Alongside the mouth watering array of homemade cakes, there is a daily offering of risottos, authentic pastas and fresh seafood.
Just like the shoreline, Tramezzini continues to shift and evolve. Adam explains; “We run our business in the same way that chefs develop food. We are constantly tasting, trying, rearranging and adapting, keeping the best bits and evolving others. Food changes, the island changes and we strive to be at the crest of the wave.”
