A SPANISH restaurant in St Helens is celebrating 29 years in the community. 

Manolo Estupinanquintana, from Gran Canaria, brought his family and his passion for cooking homemade Spanish recipes with him to the UK before opening his own tapas restaurant in 1994. 

La Casa Vieja is a hidden gem located on Bickerstaffe Street which has been serving authentic Spanish tapas in the community for nearly 30 years.

St Helens Star: The restaurant serves authentic, homemade dishes The restaurant serves authentic, homemade dishes (Image: La Casa Vieja)

Since opening, the restaurant has been refurbished, with Manolo’s daughter Siobhan taking over management and close friends and relatives also joining the team.

Siobhan Fairclough said: "The staff don’t owe me anything; they’re not staff, they’re family.

"Everything about it is personal and we find it important that they know us on a first-name basis; it’s a big Casa family really.

St Helens Star: A good relationship with customers is key at the Spanish restaurant A good relationship with customers is key at the Spanish restaurant (Image: St Helens Star)

"My dad’s 61 now and he still cooks every single dish; every recipe is his own recipe.

"He’s been doing it all his life."

St Helens Star: Manolo and his wife Joan, from Liverpool, pictured on the restaurant's opening night Manolo and his wife Joan, from Liverpool, pictured on the restaurant's opening night (Image: St Helens Star)

35-year-old Siobhan shared how the business has faced a hit during the pandemic and the current cost-of-living crisis, with the restaurant forced to increase prices due to energy bills tripling.

She added: "It’s been a long few years, recently, but the support has been great.

"We know there’s not a lot of money out there and people are struggling, so we like to make sure that when people do come, we do our best.

"It is hard, but we’ve got to keep going. It’s all my dad has now."

The mum-of-three also detailed how the restaurant remains busy most nights, with the business’ ethos to encourage customers to stay for a long period of time to enjoy the tapas and immerse into the Spanish culture.