OWNERS of a Peruvian restaurant in Frome held a special party this month to celebrate its one-year anniversary in the town.
Kelly Roberts and Ronald ‘Choco’ Tafur, owners of From Peru to You in Badcox, held the party to mark 12 months since they opened the restaurant and also to raise money for people affected by flooding in Peru.
The couple welcomed friends and customers for home-cooked food and a knees-up at the Silk Mill on Saturday 1st April. There was live music from Oxford Latin Combo and DJs Marvi D and Biz Bliss, as well as food made by Choco.
Kelly said, “The party was spectacular! It was so lovely to see so many people of all ages enjoying themselves and dancing.
“It was such a friendly event; I love getting people together. We always wanted From Peru to You to be somewhere people could come to love and laugh together, and we’re so proud of what we’ve achieved.
“Choco is from Peru and I lived there for seven years. Mealtimes there are community-minded and people eat together, and that’s something we try to recreate here in Frome.
“We work with local producers as much as we can; our fish gets brought in by Paul, owner of Harts Natural Seafood, and the meat from Cayfords Butchers next door – they have the best lamb.
“It’s nice working directly with independent businesses. They want to give us the best because they want us to come back tomorrow and this is how a community grows.”
At the party there was a collection of money to donate to people in Ronald’s home village in Peru, which has been hit by disastrous flooding in the country.
The South American country has suffered extreme flooding as a result of heavy rainfall, and 70,000 people’s homes have been destroyed.
Kelly added, “The party was a happy occasion but it’s sad that so many people in Peru have lost their homes in the floods; we thought it was important to raise awareness of the suffering there and to try and raise some money for people in Choco’s village, too.”
From Peru to You is open as a cafe from 9am to 5pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and extends to 10pm for evening meals on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
To find out more or contact the restaurant, visit the ‘From Peru to You’ Facebook page, or call 07904 935077.