There was an unexpected bit of star power at Istanbul Grill on Warrington Road on Friday, when boxer and former Love Island star Tommy Fury arrived for dinner. Not quite a red-carpet affair, but certainly more exciting than spotting the same three people browsing the supermarket aisles.
Tommy came with a friend and posed for photographs with the restaurant staff, while other diners also got the chance to grab a picture with him. Istanbul Grill clearly handled the attention sensibly, without turning the place into a makeshift celebrity shrine, which is probably for the best.
The pair tucked into mixed starters and a mixed chargrill, and reportedly “really enjoyed their meal”. Frankly, if the food did not impress a professional boxer, there would be nowhere to hide, so this is a decent endorsement for the Culcheth restaurant.
Istanbul Grill specialises in Turkish cuisine and has now gained a little extra publicity thanks to an unexpected visit from Tommy Fury. It is a positive bit of attention for a local business, although anyone hoping for a dramatic Love Island-style confrontation will have to make do with grilled meat and polite photographs.
The article was produced through an exclusive subscriber partnership with USA Today and written by American colleagues, so it may not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Still, the central fact is pleasingly local: Tommy Fury came to Culcheth, ate well, and left the staff with some excellent bragging rights.