I first met Sue and Pietro Addis when he was running the Market Wine Bar in Market Street, writes Adam Trimingham.

I was doing a daily diary for the Argus about the TUC being in Brighton that week and it was hard going.

Pietro helped me by saying which union bosses had been in the bar and the main issues they were talking about.

Right from the start, both of them had a good idea of what ordinary people wanted.

They had cut-price menus which offered good food at bargain prices and often had a cheap wine promotion as well. It was served in style.

They did a lot for charities such as the Argus appeal.

With restaurants, Pinocchio in New Road came first followed by the far larger Donatello.

Although the family had other restaurants in Brighton, Pietro, Sue and their sons remained local to make sure a close eye was kept on the business.

Once I saw Sue deal really well with a couple who had hoped for a quiet meal in Pinocchio but were disturbed by a strippergram at a nearby table.

She calmed them down, apologised sincerely and offered them a free meal.

Her relationship with Pietro did not last but the business side did.

He cried with joy when Tony Blair, then Prime Minister, paid a visit to Donatello during a Labour conference.

Sue said: “You did not cry when we married, had each of our children or when we parted but you are crying now.” He said: It is important to me because I am only a poor boy from Sardinia.”

I got on with Pietro and Sue well over the years and my family always booked a meal there on Christmas Eve but sadly I had to cancel last year at short notice because of the virus problem.

Two years ago my wife Sue and I were in an obscure Italian resort, eating outside, when she suddenly exclaimed: “There’s Sue Addis.”

She had been seeing her wine merchants and we were amused to note she ordered a pizza.

Sue was a kind woman, as demonstrated when she went to Australia to see her brother who was suffering health problems.

She donated her bone marrow in a bid to save his life but I heard later that sadly it did not work.

Despite running the busiest restaurant in Brighton and Hove, Sue had no airs and graces about her.

She knew instinctively what to do whether it was improvements for The Lanes or sponsoring the Albion.

I shall miss her as a friend but the loss to Brighton will be far greater.