Chef'S profile

Combining cultures

Gianpero Mugano is the new head chef at The Red Church in Bristol. Gianpero, takes up the position after recently heading up the much-celebrated award-winning Bristol Italian — Pasta Loco, and having previously worked at both The Ox and Woky Ko. Here, Gianpero tells us more about what inspires him…

Congrats on your new role at The Red Church. Can you tell us a bit about what to expect when we visit?

A nice and welcoming atmosphere followed by a simple and fresh produce menu with South Italian and Japanese twists.

When we visit The Red Church what should we order?

It’s definitely worth trying our pasta fritta with ricotta, the truffle cannelloni with porcini mushrooms, and last but not least, the organic citrus miso chicken. Our miso and sake glazed aubergine is also very popular and is vegan and gluten-free.

Do you have a signature dish?

Ravioli filled with cow’s milk ricotta, cinnamon and sugar, with slow cooked fresh tomato sauce and Parmesan. This was one of the special recipes my beloved Nonna Angela gave to me.

Where did your love of Japanese flavours come from?

I’ve always been in love with the food, fashion and culture of Asia, but when I was in London I had the opportunity to work for Jon de Villa (now YUU Kitchen) at Flesh & Buns in Covent Garden. It was an amazing experience and it was then that I really fell in love with Japaneseinspired food. It was hard but I loved it!

When did you know you wanted to become a chef?

Half of my family back in Puglia works in hospitality and catering and my mum and my dad can cook excellent meals. I grew up surrounded by food and big family gatherings where the food was the central part, so it was natural to choose this path. I went to catering school and here I am.

Who or what inspires you?

I’m inspired by my roots! I’m from Puglia in the south-east of Italy, my grandmother was from Naples and my wife is from Calabria — they inspire me a lot. But, also being an expat for more than 10 years, I’ve often got inspiration from my surroundings.

Do you have any favourite local ingredients and suppliers you like to use?

One of my favourites is Hugo Grocery where I buy some of the freshest Italian fruits and veg. I do also love the Bristol Sweet Mart in Easton where I find some of the best Asian products, and recently the Concious Food Co. has been bringing us some really fresh and beautiful fish from Devon, straight from the boat.

Do you have any kitchen hacks you could share to help us with our cooking at home?

Have your mise-en-place ready before you start your cooking session. Get out your ingredients, pans and tools ready to go, weigh everything and have them placed in order of use, especially before making a cake or any other sweets. The result will be a less stressful session with way less mess to clean afterwards!

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