Celebrating its 40th anniversary this December, Nub News regional editor Emily Dalton spoke to Shambles in Teddington on what the secret is behind their long-running success.

Meet Massimo Langella, co-owner of Shambles with his sister Margherita. The pair's Italian roots stem from their father, Franco, who traded the idyllic Lake Como to the ideals of London in the 1960s.

Franco shows me the wood he collected for the bar. (Photo: Emily Dalton)

Set in a grade II listed butchers, the Shamble's namesake, Franco takes me through the various features of the stunning building. He points out the wood he gleaned from Chelsea markets he made into beams for the walls and structures for the bar.

At Shambles, attention to detail is gospel. From the homegrown tomatoes and cavolo nero in the garden, the (blunted) butcher's hooks, to the outside mulberry tree made from a cutting in Lake Como.

If businesses were judged on breeding, Shambles is the bona fide family restaurant.

December 3 marks the restaurant's 40th anniversary. "It will actually be our 50th year as a family owning businesses in Teddington," Massimo said, as if he couldn't believe it himself.

"We're starting to get third generation customers," Massimo said. "From the very first days that dad opened, people have been living in the community for such a long time. You start to see some of their faces through the door."

I ask what's the secret to the Shambles' success. Massimo answers: "We're all about using fresh, seasonal ingredients, prepared from scratch. We make everything in the kitchen, all our homemade pasta- we love pasta- to our own biscuits. That's quite rare for small independent restaurants."

The not-so-secret gorgeous outside garden with a mulberry bush (left) from Lake Como. (Photo: Emily Dalton)

On August 5, national oyster day, Shambles will host an Oyster Night sourcing the fresh ingredients on an ice table from Sandy's fishmonger in Twickenham.

Massimo explains Sandy's has been a long-standing supplier for Shambles. He said: "[The owner's] dad and my dad used to work together, and now I work with Stuart, so it is now a second-generation relationship."

Shambles is also hosting a seafood night on August 17; guests can choose their crustacean or scaly friend and Massimo will put it on the open grill.

Alongside seafood, all other ingredients are locally sourced from H.G. Waters' British meat to Nature's Choice vegetables in Covent Garden.

Imported directly from Italy are various cheeses, charcuteries and over a hundred bottles of wine .

From local sellers to global retailers, Shambles was recently contacted by Campari, an Italian liqueur brand. The company will be giving away close to 100 Campari spritzers at Shambles on Saturday 29 July. 

Outside dining area under the canopy. (Photo: Emily Dalton)

Shambles is the second restaurant owned by the Langellas. Franco opened his first restaurant in 1973, called Spaghetti Junction, where Benedict's resides now.

"When dad first opened Spaghetti Junction the high street looked very different. There were maybe only two restaurants and there were no trees down the road," Massimo explained.

Due to its popularity, judged by the ever-increasing queues to get a table, Franco bought Shambles in 1983, initially as a wine bar. Spaghetti Junction closed in 1998, and the family business was moved over to Shambles full-time.

Outside the Shambles. (Photo: Emily Dalton)

Massimo has always been involved in the family restaurant to some degree. "Dad got me doing some child labour when I was 12 years old," Massimo says with a knowing wink. "He got me making coffee and filling the profiteroles…one for profiterole for me, one for the customer."

For the first part of his career, Massimo worked as a chef in Australia, Rome, and travelled all over the world. What brought him back from cheffing across the world to the restaurant?

"There's no place like home," Massimo says. "Born and bred in Teddington so I have lived here all my life."

He spoke fondly of the area, saying it is the first 'village-y' feel place you reach outside of London.

He was in Rome when his father rang him and explained the head chef had left, and he was thinking of retiring. His father said if Massimo didn't come back, he was going to sell the business. But if he did come, he could take it on.

We joked that it was emotional blackmail. But Massimo confessed: "In the back of my mind, growing up, it always felt like I would end up here. It probably came a little sooner than expected." 

From left to right: Franco, Margherita, Massimo Langella- a true family business. (Photo: Emily Dalton)

Both brother and sister are intricately involved in the day-to-day running of the restaurant: meeting and greeting, cooking, writing the menus and recipes.

Massimo saw post-covid lockdown as a kind of local business revival. He says: "It was the first time I'd seen it being on the tip of people's minds as that's where they wanted their money to go to.

"At the end of the day it all starts from small businesses. It was very humbling to see, the support from everyone was incredible."

What's the best part of running a local business? "It's got to be the people and the community spirit," Massimo says.