More than 140 guests were given a taste of La Dolce Vita as Italian celebrity chef, Aldo Zilli, prepared a gourmet feast at the official opening of the HWM Alfa Romeo dealership in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, last week, (Thursday 12 November).

Zilli demonstrated his renowned cooking skills in a special kitchen set-up in view of the showroom's Alfa models, including the stylish and sporty new Alfa MiTo as well as the stunning and ultra-rare Alfa 8C Spider.

Four of our very own Quins players, Chris Robshaw, Ceri Jones, Jim Evans and Ollie Kohn were also on hand to sign autographs for guests, and Ollie also joined Aldo on stage to help demonstrate how HWM Alfa Romeo customers could make their own fresh pasta.

HWM Alfa Romeo Dealer Principal, Andrew Harting, was delighted with the evening's proceedings, commenting: "We wanted to do something special for the official opening of our Alfa Romeo dealership, and having Aldo Zilli here was a wonderful experience for everyone. Aldo produced a beautiful meal, really entertained our guests and helped open our showroom in style."

Family owned HWM has enjoyed an illustrious heritage in motor racing, having manufactured its own sports cars in the 1940s and '50s. Joining the Alfa Romeo network as the marque's latest prestige dealership, reignites a strong historical link between the two companies, as both have shared the same asphalt on a number of historic Grand Prix and Mille Miglia races.

Alfa Romeo's UK Brand Communications Manager, Damien Dally, says: "It's not only on the race track where our similarities lie - HWM shares our passion for true sporting cars, and commitment to customer satisfaction. This appointment of HWM as an Alfa dealership further demonstrates our commitment to this ethos and builds on a long-standing mutual respect for one another. The dealership has an established history in Walton-on-Thames and we look forward to an exciting future together."

Quins player Ollie Kohn said; "Chris, Ceri, Jim and myself were all very happy to go along to the official opening of the new HWM Alfa Romeo dealership in Walton-on Thames on behalf of Quins. It was a relaxed and informal evening chatting to various guests of Alfa Romeo and their limited edition 8C car was also there which is pretty awesome for anyone that hasn't seen it. There were lots of people to chat to and Quins squad posters to sign and as part of the event celebrity chef Aldo Zilli also did a cooking demonstration. Someone must have tipped him off about my Jolly Hog And Sausage catering outlet at the Stoop because I got roped into help with the cooking demo in front of everyone but it didn't go too badly thankfully! We look forward to welcoming some of the guys from Alfa and their guests to the Twickenham Stoop for a match in the near future."

Anyone interested in booking a test drive in any of the Alfa Romeo range should contact the HWM Alfa Romeo sales team on 01932 233200, or visit the showroom on Bridge Street, Walton-On-Thames, Surrey, KT12 1AT. Alternatively go online: www.hwmalfaromeo.co.uk