Glasgow food stories: We talk to Ross Wilson on how the Anchor Line came to be

Anchor Line is one of Glasgow City Centre’s most established restaurants so we find more about its history.

Transcript

00:00So DiMaggio's DRG was kind of my first proper job when I left school when I was 16.

00:08My father actually knew Mario Gizzi through kind of professional circumstances and I got my first

00:16job in DiMaggio's in St Enoch's Centre in the food court. Started off working kind of part-time

00:22at the weekends. There I learnt actually not just how to serve the public and dealing with cash and

00:28towels but then the chef then taught me how to make pizza as well so yeah that was a good few

00:35years ago when I was 16. I was there for just over a year so fond memories yeah. Obviously working in a

00:41in a shopping centre in a fast food court very different from from working in the anchor line

00:47and this is a bit of a grander bigger building than a food court. Obviously the interactions you

00:54still have are with customers but in a different way and here is very much about the service and

01:00and what we try and deliver all walks of life you know we have so many people coming through these

01:04doors and the expectations are high because the anchor line now has has such a good name for itself.

01:09You know I can still remember this building when it was derelict in a building site and and doing the

01:13walk round and and being part of that opening team to kind of bring it back into its glory and and the

01:21way it is now and and sustaining that over the years. One of the moments that obviously kind of

01:29sticks out is is actually coming back out of lockdown and being able to open again and to the

01:35public and when the restrictions were were kind of eased. Seeing all the familiar faces and the loyal

01:40customers that we'd kind of kept in touch with as best we could during those times. But yeah just seeing

01:47it going from strength to strength over the years. We had a really good head start in terms of the

01:51history of of the building because when we were first bringing it back together and using the anchor

01:57line name and using the history of the building and what's on the walls and everything that the public

02:01came forward and with their stories and memories of knowing the anchor line shipping company you know

02:07we had people that used to work in this building whether it being payroll or or HR etc and and you know they

02:14gave us some of the posters and things on the wall so we had a really good head start with the history of the

02:19building but it's then the team within the anchor line that has stayed you know over the years that have

02:27built up great rapport with the public and you know everybody that comes to the anchor line obviously hopefully

02:34has a great experience and they keep coming back but also tourists love it too. What was my vision for the

02:41anchor line? We wanted to be as accessible as we could be to the masses it's about getting that service

02:48and price point right where it becomes a destination venue for celebrations and so whether it be a birthday

02:54an anniversary you know you would choose the anchor line within Glasgow city centre to come and celebrate

02:59those moments

03:08you