Our Team at Fox Valley
Argys Myrtja
General Manager
Argys was attracted to the industry through a simple notion: an instinctive love of food and drink.
This saw him spend two and a half valuable years at Quaglino's, which left an indelible impression on him: "You have to ensure guests have a great time, every time they visit your restaurant."
He has put this mantra into great use since joining Ponti' in 2012 and has worked his way up to become
General Manager. "It' all about training and motivating the team so that our standards are always top notch for every guest who chooses us."
Those who love their fish will find Argys to be a kindred spirit, with the Gamberoni dish (king prawns in garlic butter with a hint of chilli) being one he loves to recommend. His visits to various food producers and vineyards in Emilia-Romagna inspire him and give him a real depth of knowledge about the provenance of each dish.
When he' not in the restaurant his love of football endures with twice-weekly games, where he describes himself as an assured striker, or defender. Obviously an all-rounder.
Robert Huza
Head Chef
When he secured his first promotion after working for six months as a pizza chef in his home country of Romania, Rob Huza knew he'd chosen the right profession.
Fast forward and his career has seen him gain broad experience; a Hungarian kitchen, Calabria, Italy for a season as well as several years at Ponti' in London. "When the opportunity came to help launch a new Ponti' in Sheffield it took me less time than the searing of a scallop to say yes. Moving to Yorkshire has been an absolute delight, my family feels right at home here."
As part of his training for the opening, Rob travelled to Piacenza twice. He worked at a landmark restaurant out there to gain money-can't-buy experience of authentic Italian cooking. "I have a chance to bring a real Italian Kitchen to Stocksbridge and to be able to offer a new style of cuisine. I hope to see you in the restaurant."
Aymen Lahdiri
Senior Soux Chef
Born in Tunisia, Aymen had a passion for food from a young age after watching his family cooking dishes from scratch. He began his career working in various hotels across his country, where he learnt different cuisines such as Mediterranean, North African and Italian.
Aymen moved to Ireland in 2013 where he worked in restaurants before moving to England and joining the Ponti's team in 2016. Following further training at our Oxford Circus restaurant, he has been a permanent fixture at our Fox Valley restaurant from the beginning.
Over time Aymen has worked to develop new menus and experiments often with different cooking styles and techniques showcasing his skills.
He is a family man with a passion for sport and in his spare time is often found in the local gym or playing football.