meet the chef
V
arlotta started his culinary journey at 15 training in a pizzeria/ restaurant in Asti, his home town, working as a waiter and sometimes in the kitchen. The long hours, 11am-3am, six days a week with just a two hour break in-between was hard work for little pay, but it taught him a true work ethic. From there he went to a private chef school for two years with one year in hotel management, he got his
Armando Varlotta
Armando’s Kitchen, Cromwell Armando Varlotta is from the Piedmont region of Italy, a region famous for its beautiful wines and produce such as truffle, porcini mushroom, amaretto, and much more. An area, the chef and owner of Armando’s Kitchen points out, that is very reminiscent of Central Otago, where he now calls home.
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diploma and went to train in Florence where he worked in one of the busiest places, il Cavallino in Piazza Signoria. “My head chef was great, he taught me lots of things and most of the cooking from the Tuscany region,” noted Varlotta. “I loved every moment of it, but I was an ambitious young man and at the age of 19 I moved to London where I worked in an Italian place in Coven Garden, The Arts Theatre Café. I loved this place, the owner was
