NEWS
I Love Italian Food comes to London On 30 May 2022, at the Leonardo Royal Hotel St. Paul’s, London, for the first time, report the event’s organisers, the UK Sommelier Association, I Love Italian Food and the Federazione Italiana Cuochi UK will be joining forces to create an event that is setting out to become the reference point for food and beverage professionals in the UK. I Love Italian Food is an international network and a non-profit association with the mission of promoting and defending the true Italian food and wine culture in the world. They were born in Italy in 2013, in the heart of the food valley, from an encounter between the Facebook page created by Marco Bonini and the idea of Alessandro Schiatti to build a non-profit association around it. Over time, I Love Italian Food has become a company and an international community that in recent years has reached three billion social contacts, has held over 100 international events and obtained more than a billion video views. They have grown thanks to the conviction that the future of Italy is closely linked to the future of its food sector, and its ability to expand and establish itself beyond national borders (in fact, it is one of the most loved and wanted aspects of Italy abroad, as well as representing one sixth of the country’s economy, they report). “Made in Italy agri-food is the oil of Italy, one of our greatest riches, it is the fruit of our many popular cultures, the knowhow of our workers, our geography and the many microclimates that make it up. For this reason, at I Love Italian Food, we believe in the value of the real Made in Italy, the one that is made in Italy, on our land and from our land,” said Alessandro Schiatti, current CEO of I Love Italian Food. Not only is there a passion for Italy’s food products, they point out, but also an awareness that 60% of the ‘Italian’ products sold worldwide are actually produced abroad, or are even the result of www.papa.org.uk
agro-piracy, it is claimed. For this reason, their mission is also to put back at the centre of the scene all products that have a totally Italian supply chain and, together with them, the companies that invest in the territory in order to overcome this challenge together and protect every product that is ‘100per100 Italian’. Two competitions will be taking place on stage at the event with the UK Sommelier Association once again presenting the Best UK Sommelier – Villa Sandi Award competition, featuring a series of challenges between the best sommeliers in the UK. The sommeliers, judged by a panel of well-known faces in the industry such as journalists, Master of Wine, Master Sommelier etc., will compete to win the title. In the evening, the UK Sommelier Association will also take the stage for its annual Graduation Ceremony. The second competition will be held by the Federazione Italiana Cuochi UK, who are pleased to announce the first edition of their Best Chef of Italian Cuisine – Parmigiano Reggiano Award. On stage, six pre-selected chefs will have one hour to prepare a main course with at least five elements. At the end of the hour, a jury of top chefs of Italian cuisine will taste and vote on the dishes prepared by the contestants and decide the winner of the competition. In addition, there will be a walk-around exhibition area, where visitors will be able to get in touch with food and beverage producers and consortia of protection, taste the products and network. Educating, tasting and promoting are the key words of this Italian show. Thus, during the day it will also be possible to take part in wine masterclasses guided by the UK Sommelier Association, cooking slasses on Italian products with the finest local chefs of Italian cuisine and mixology classes in the dedicated tasting lounge area. For more details, visit www.iloveitalianfood.it
Phil Gaffer
Following a brief battle with pancreatic cancer, Papa John’s have reported the passing away of Phil Gaffer, known to many in the sector through his role as the company’s franchise sales and business development manager. “Phil joined Papa John’s in 2017,” said Amit Pancholi, director of business development. Papa John’s UK. “I only had the privilege to work with him for a short time, but I remember his smile was one of the first to welcome me to the company. Phil was always positive and energetic – he counted wild swimming amongst his hobbies and would often cycle for several hours before work. He had that rare knack of being able to put anyone at ease, instantly. “Phil had well over 20 years’ experience in franchising. A qualified franchise professional (QFP) and former board member of the British Franchise Association, he was well respected and liked throughout the industry. But Phil was far more than that, a valued team member, a friend, a husband, devoted father and recently a grandfather. Phil you will be greatly missed.” 11
