The Italian restaurant in Salisbury that was shut after being caught up in the nerve agent attack on the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, has reopened to the public.
Staff said they were delighted to be back at work at Zizzi, just off the market square, more than eight months after police walked in and told them they had to close immediately.
Members of the public showed their confidence that the restaurant was safe by turning out in numbers to dine and drink in the rooms where the Skripals ate shortly before collapsing, having been poisoned elsewhere with the nerve agent novichok.
First in the queue were Lynda Davis, 67, and her brother Ian Rummey, 71, who came from Andover in Hampshire to show their support.
Davis, a retired shop worker, said: “What happened in Salisbury was so terrible. People stopped coming here. It’s good to see it’s getting busier now and I’m glad Zizzi is back open. I’m not worried about eating here.”
Margaret Kittle, 85, was also among the first in. She was visiting Salisbury from Canada and felt drawn to Zizzi to show solidarity. “I came here 60 years ago and remember a guide in the cathedral saying that Salisbury looked as if it had been dropped from heaven. I watched what happened here and it was heartbreaking,” she said.
Frances Rankin, 78, and her sister Rena Rankin, 75, from Blandford Forum in Dorset, said they usually had spring rolls for lunch from the Tuesday market. “But we thought we’d try this today,” said Frances Rankin. “We’re not worried at all about eating here. I’m sure it’s perfectly safe.”
Less than 10 minutes after the restaurant reopened, it was full. The general manager, Joe Pegg, said the reopening had been a long time coming. “It’s felt like decades since March,” he said. “One of the most exciting things for me is working with my mates again. We’ve all been dispersed. It’s nice. We’re happy to be back here.”
Just over half of the 24 staff who were working at the restaurant at the time of the attack have returned, including the head chef. Among the first customers who booked a table was a man who told Pegg that Zizzi had a special place in his heart as it was the venue for his first date with his long-term girlfriend.
Pegg, 28, said: “It never crossed our mind that we wouldn’t come back. Right from the off we were determined to reopen, we just didn’t know when.”
Nor was there any thought of moving to another building in the cathedral city. “By staying here it shows that we are confident. We’ve got a clean bill of health. We’re here, we’re back. I think the general feel about Salisbury is that this is a landmark in the recovery. It’s been eight months, it’s been a long time,” he said.
Pegg said Salisbury was not yet quite back to normal. “The week after it happened it was a bit of a ghost town,” he said. “Now there’s hustle and bustle back. We’re not back yet but we’re getting there. Hopefully we’ll be a milestone in that.”
He cannot remember details of the Skripals’ visit on Sunday 4 March. “It was just a normal day,” he said. He remembers the Monday evening much more clearly. “The police came in at 8.30pm or 9pm and calmly asked us to close down. It was scary, confusing,” Pegg said.
The first priority for Pegg and his bosses at Zizzi was to make sure all the staff were well. “Everyone was healthy and happy and asking us what they could do to help,” he said.
Zizzi kept staff on full pay, with those who were able to work further afield transferring to nearby branches including Winchester and Southampton.
Phil Boyd, the operations director, said: “After the incident we were concerned about the welfare of our staff and, to our relief, everyone was well. But there was no doubt that we would reopen when we could.”
There have been unconfirmed reports that traces of novichok were found in Zizzi, though the police are certain the Skripals were poisoned at their home on the outskirts of the city. Boyd said: “All I know is that we are 100% safe.”
The restaurant has been given the all-clear by government experts and refurbished. Still, there are a few clues that something happened, most obviously a flock of origami doves hung from an olive tree that echo those that have appeared in the city since the attack.
On Tuesday, diners were invited to pay what they wanted for their meals, with the proceeds going to two charities for young people in the area.
Alistair Cunningham, the chairman of the South Wiltshire recovery coordinating group, said: “We are so pleased Zizzi is reopening in time for the buildup to Christmas. For Salisbury, it is a significant step forward and shows the city centre has returned to normal and has moved on from the events of this year.”
