Young Port Fairy restaurant owner wins Moyne Shire Council young citizen award

The award honours Mr Spencer's tireless work throughout COVID-19 lockdowns to retain his restaurant staff and provide free meals to the local community.

Moyne Shire mayor Karen Foster said the award was richly deserved.

"I cannot think of a young person who better fits this award which aims to recognise people aged under 30 who have provided outstanding service and contribution to the community," she said.

"Mitchell is devoted to helping people and organisations doing it tough and giving back to the community wherever he can."

After starting his own restaurant, Bottega Toscana, at just 18 years old, Mr Spencer worked 16-hour days seven days a week to get the business off the ground.

But just as he paid off his initial loan, the pandemic struck, plunging the enterprise back into uncertainty.

"It was a really difficult period for me and when we were told we had to lock down a second time mum said we should do something positive so we decided to give the food away," Mr Spencer told The Standard last year.

"I called all my staff and told them they could come and help if they wanted to and almost all of them came down. We were going to just play some music and have a good time, but when I looked out the window there was a line and I thought 'oh my goodness, I don't have enough pasta!'.

As lockdowns became a thing of the past, the restaurant has gone from strength to strength, but Mr Spencer has continued his spirit of giving, donating more than 300 meals to the Port Fairy nippers, $3000 to flood victims and becoming the gold sponsor of the for Under 18 Southwest Women's Soccer team.

His young citizen gong follows a first prize in the 2022 Moyne Shire Council youth awards.

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