THE owner of a Greenock pizzeria which is up for a national award says the prize would be well-earned recognition for the ‘hardest working team in the town’.

Tonino’s on Grey Place has been nominated for Pizza Restaurant of the Year at the Scottish Restaurant Awards.

The eatery faces competition from nominees in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Inverness.

Some members of the Tonino’s team will attend a ceremony at the Marriott Hotel in Glasgow on Monday night, where the winners of several categories will be announced.

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Owner Tony Bonatti told the Tele: “The last wee while has been a combination of a really good time for business and now a really hard time with the cost of everything going up.

“The team have really stuck together and powered through.

“I think being a finalist is amazing recognition - anything else would be a bonus.

"We already feel like winners working in this community.”

Tonino’s opened its doors on Grey Place seven years ago and has been serving the people of Inverclyde with authentic Italian cuisine ever since.

Staff make the fresh pizza dough on-site daily, topping it with a range of quality Italian meats and a selection of cheeses.

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The restaurant was also previously named Scotland’s Best Pizzeria at the prestigious Scottish Italian Awards.

Later this year, Tony plans to close for a short period to allow for a refurb in which he hopes to 'freshen the place up' and install some new booths for diners.

Tonino’s will not be the only Inverclyde representative at Monday’s ceremony, with Gourock’s Fusion up for European Restaurant of the Year.

In a social media post, its owners said they were 'delighted to have been recognised as finalists at the Scottish Restaurant Awards'.

They added: “Thank you to our many, many customers – not forgetting our team.”