THE man who ran Nico’s restaurant in Chippenham for 25 years has passed away at the age of 73.

Nico Ruggiero was well-known for bringing his authentic Italian cuisine to Wiltshire, and as he moved around eateries in Chippenham over the decades, fans of his food followed him.

He started out at the Angel Hotel in 1963, after moving over from a small town in southern Italy called Roseto Valfortore.

Twenty years later he left as head chef to open his own business, Nico’s, which he ran on New Road until he retired in 2002, much to his customers’ disappointment.

But they did not have long to wait. Mr Ruggiero missed the cooking and the banter with his customers so much that he could not resist when in 2004 the Calmans of the Pack Horse in London Road came up with a plan to resurrect his cooking career.

The pub soon had about 40 meal choices and bookings shot up. After a year there he also cooked at Munro’s for a short time.

Mr Ruggiero has four children with his wife Clara – Maria Ruggiero and Emilia Mallia, who both live in Chippenham, Nadia Ruggiero in London and Joe Ruggiero in Bristol, plus two grandchildren to Joe and Claire, called Alessandro and Arianna.

Their youngest daughter Nadia, 30, said: “My Dad was well loved in the town for his pizza and pasta dishes, which local people still talk about today.

“Cooking and food was his passion in life. He was at his happiest cooking and seeing people enjoying his food.

“My Mum is mainly in charge of the cooking at home but Dad was always in the kitchen with her helping, or more like supervising, especially if we ever had guests over for lunch or dinner.

“Many of Dad’s customers followed him around to the various places he worked after he retired from the restaurant. People would still stop him in town or at the supermarket to ask him if he would open up another place again, which he loved.”

Nico and Clara would have celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in April this year.

He died on February 10 at his home in Chippenham with his family. His funeral will take place at St Mary’s RC Church, Station Road at 11am on Tuesday.