Real Lives: Chef Giuseppe's appetite for life was infectious

City chef Giuseppe Amato has died aged 77 after a year-long battle with cancer.

Giuseppe Amato's life in the catering industry was no accident – born in Palermo, Sicily, to a family of five generations of pastry chefs, his passion for cooking and flair in the kitchen began at an early age.

Mr Amato moved to Scotland in 1959 at the age of 27 to work in the Marine Hotel in North Berwick.

A year later, he met Isabel at a dancehall in Morningside and in 1962 the couple married at St Mary's Star of the Sea church in Leith.

He worked in various hotels in the area and even cooked in Holyrood Palace, making sweets for the Queen, before becoming one of the first Italians to open his own restaurant in Edinburgh.

Casa Siciliana was opened in Tollcross in 1970 and the combination of Giuseppe running the kitchen and his wife looking after diners proved to be a winning one.

Their location in Lochrin Buildings helped bring in stars performing at the nearby King's Theatre.

Famous customers included Bing Crosby, Ricky Fulton and Stanley Baxter.

Mrs Amato said: "We had a clientele that would make most restaurant owners' eyes water.

"My husband was very well respected in the restaurant business.

"They were in competition but they were all friends – they were able to be pleased for each other if things went well."

Mr Amato loved his vocation and was generous in sharing his skills. He mentored many young chefs whose successes continue in the city today.

Mrs Amato added: "He wanted to make it clear to kids: go into the catering trade and you'll never be without a job. That was his philosophy."

In 1986 the couple moved back to Italy, where Mr Amato worked as a chef in holiday villages.

But in 2001 they returned to Edinburgh and Mr Amato wasn't ready to retire.

He continued working in restaurants in the city and made biscuits for Bar Roma until just 18 months ago.

Mr Amato also took a keen interest in sports.

Having a taekwondo gym across the road from his restaurant sparked his interest in martial arts. He gained a black belt in the discipline in his mid-40s.

In the 1970s Mr Amato took over the lease of the gym when its future was under threat, and helped keep taekwondo going in Edinburgh.

Mr Amato even tried his hand at combining his two passions and created Pasta Taekwondo, a hot and spicy seafood dish that proved a hit with the boys at the club.

When he wasn't in the kitchen or the gym, Mr Amato's free time was spent with his two children, Giuseppe and Anna-Maria.

Mr Amato instilled his active values in his children, encouraging his daughter to national success in ice-skating, while his son joined him at taekwondo lessons and also became a black belt.

Mrs Amato added: "Both of the children doted on him.

"In fact, there doesn't seem to be a person that has known him that has a nasty word to say. I'm really realising that now with all the phone calls from people he knew.

"He had a marvellous life."