For Amanda and Simon Richards, love didn't begin with flowers or candlelight - it began with BBQ.

Back in 2013, the couple, who live in Sandbach and both work for Staffordshire County Council, met online while living in different parts of the North West.

For their very first date, they chose Hickory's Smokehouse in Chester - a restaurant that neither of them could have known would become the backdrop to their entire love story.

More than a decade later, that same restaurant - and Hickory's team across the UK - has been there for almost every milestone in their lives and now their children Oliver and Lily often go along too as we revealed here

Their passion for the food and atmosphere of Hickory's has seen them travel more than 5,000 miles between them - from Cardiff to Thornaby in the North East, and as far as Milton Keynes - documenting each visit with photos, signed memorabilia and a growing hand-drawn map of locations, plus their dedicated Instagram page, which now boasts an impressive following.

"We fell in love with Hickory's when we walked through the door - the team, the food and just that great, warm and welcoming atmosphere," Amanda said.

"We have become well known to the Hickory's team, so every time a new restaurant opens, we want to be there. It's a happy place for us."

From that life-changing first date in the Sports Book at Chester, Amanda and Simon's love story began to unfold.

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United by their love of the NFL, they built a close-knit community through the Chester Romans American Football team, where Simon, a Sandbach town councillor, played and later coached and where Amanda went on to play for seven years.

When Simon proposed, their engagement party was held in the Sports Book - a surprise celebration with friends and family (and some of the Hickory's team). The day after their wedding, they returned to mark the start of married life in a place that already felt like home.

As the years went on, Hickory's became the backdrop to countless milestones. Amanda celebrated her 30th birthday there, and during one visit, the couple revealed a pregnancy to family members.

On another trip to the Hickory's in Rhos-on-Sea, Amanda went into labour just a day later, five weeks early, a moment the couple still laugh about today.

Now parents to Oliver, eight, and Lily, five, Amanda and Simon say their children have "grown up in Hickory's". Both children have had almost every birthday at Hickory's and have even got their own memory books, shown to managers at every restaurant they visit.

Simon, a self-confessed BBQ enthusiast, regularly smokes ribs and pulled pork on his own BBQ, often recreating Hickory's-style feasts for friends and family.

He said: "It's not just the food - we love going to America and Hickory's is the closest we've found in the UK to American-style hospitality."

That hospitality has helped Amanda with a rare eating condition and aided her neurodivergent anxieties when visiting new places.

She said: "Having ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) I've always been quite a cautious eater, so knowing exactly what I'm getting and knowing the team are always so good - wherever we go - makes eating out feel enjoyable again."

As Hickory's continues to grow the BBQ culture across the UK, the couple are now looking ahead to the opening of the brand's new Cannock, just down the road from their home in Sandbach.

Amanda added: "We know there are lots of loyal guests out there - and why wouldn't there be - Hickory's is great!"

"For us, it's just love - for the food, the people, and the memories we've built along the way."

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