MORE than 100 guests were offered a taste of "la dolce vita" as Italian celebrity chef Aldo Zilli prepared a gourmet feast at the official opening of the family-run Tony Purslow Alfa Romeo dealership in Houndmills, Basingstoke.

Aldo demonstrated his renowned cooking skills in a special kitchen set up among the showroom's newest Alfa models, including the award-winning Brera, Spider, 147 and 159.

Guests watched as the star rapidly created a delicious dish of home-made ravioli in tomato sauce, making the pasta from scratch, which they were then all able to sample.

The Italian master chef then knocked up a tiramisu dessert - "just like my mother used to make" - all the time keeping up the amusing banter for which he is known.

Dealership managing director Simon Goddard was delighted with how the evening went.

He said: "We wanted to do something special for the official opening of our Alfa Romeo dealership and having Aldo Zilli was a wonderful experience.

"He produced a beautiful meal, really entertained our guests and helped open our showroom in style."

Alfa Romeo's UK managing director, Christopher Nicoll, said: "We are dedicated to improving the customer experience for Alfa owners across the country, and this appointment of Tony Purslow to the Alfa dealership network is further demonstration of our commitment.

"The dealership has been established in Basingstoke for nearly 13 years and will help us deliver top levels of customer satisfaction and retention."

For more details on the Alfa Romeo range, or to book a test drive, contact the Tony Purslow sales team on 01256 826000, visit the showroom in Houndmills, Basingstoke, or log on to www.tonypurslowalfaromeo.co.uk