Island restaurateur Enzo Ciappelli has been awarded an honour from his native country which has been likened to being the Italian version of the OBE.

Enzo was awarded the star to the merit of labour (Stella al Merito del Lavoro) from the president of the Italian Republic.

This is the equivalent to a British OBE and is given to those people where merits and virtues are recognised for the long serving work and social ethics and primary examples.

The ceremony was held at The Institute of Italian Culture in Belgrave Square in London.

The accolade was presented by the Italian ambassador in Great Britain Raffaele Trombetta in a special ceremony held for the purpose to confer the title of Maestro del Lavoro .

A delighted Enzo told Business News the honour was ‘absolutely amazing.’

Enzo’s Restaurant in Buck’s Road, Douglas, is highly rated on TripAdvisor and customers have been delighted to hear of his success.

He has been working in the Isle of Man for around 35 years and he is described as being ‘talented’ and ‘tireless’ in his business.

The decorations are conferred on May 1, Labour Day, by decree of the President of the Republic, on the proposal of the Minister of Labour and, for those reserved for Italian workers abroad, in agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs .

There’s more on this story in Thursday’s Manx Independent.