A year of great tastes

PROMOTING MADEIRA AS A DESTINATION OF GASTRONOMIC IMPORTANCE, CHEF J Ú LIO PEREIRA OF KAMPO RESTAURANT HAS SET UP A YEAR’S PROGRAMME DESIGNED TO ATTRACT A WIDE AUDIENCE OF FOODIES TO THE ISLAND

Born in 1978, in Carvoeira, a small village on the west coast of Portugal between the Serra de Sintra, the waves of Ericeira and the historic convent of Mafra, it was in his father’s butchers, in his grandfather’s gardens and in his mother’s kitchen that Júlio Pereira fell in love with gastronomy. In 1993, he joined the Escola de Hotelaria do Estoril, and jacket in hand, he visited several international destinations: in Turin, he worked at the Hotel Principe di Piemonte, in Barcelona, with chef Sergi Arola at Arola, in Angola, on the opening of the first five-star hotel in the country, and also visited the Bombom Resort hotel on the island of Príncipe, in São Tomé and Príncipe.

IN HIS ‘12 chefs 12 months’ initiative launched this year, Júlio Pereira welcomes a chef – national or international – to Madeira to experience the beauty and diversity of the archipelago and its emblematic locations, promoting local producers and products, as well as the traditions and the landscape, before joining forces in the kitchen.

The aim of this ambitious programme is to create awareness of all that Madeira has to offer – and what better way than through great dining? Guest chefs are challenged to work with seasonal local produce characteristic of the region, and to introduce contemporary approaches, and, of course, their own diversity of techniques. These exchanges of ideas and experiences and unique creations will translate into unique menus that incorporate ingredients of the islands, some of which may be little known to the public.

The premiere event took place in January, with chef Tiago Bonito of Casa da Calçada in Amarante, as the first guest, and involved visits to the Mercado dos Lavradores, one of the landmarks of the capital of Madeira. In February, it was the turn of chef Rodrigo Castelo from the Ó Balcão restaurant, in Santarém (selected some months ago by AlgarvePLUS as its Restaurant of the Month), followed in March by Diogo Rocha, chef at Mesa de Lemos, in Viseu.

This month, Chef Júlio will be joined by Luís Brito, from A Ver Tavira restaurant, who will visit the island and several producers, integrating and highlighting those special tastes into the menu they will create together, which will be presented on 29 April, in Kampo.

In December 2018, in Funchal, KAMPO by chef Júlio Pereira was born. It is a welcoming restaurant, where the experiences of his career come together, and where he is accompanied by a team of promising young people. The concept quickly conquered the palate of Madeirans and tourists visiting the island, and in July 2019, on the same street as KAMPO, Akua by Chef Júlio Pereira, which celebrates the flavours of the sea, was opened.

Júlio Pereira is also a trainer at several Professional Schools of Hospitality and Tourism, and author of two books Sabores-Receitas Tradicionais Madeirenses and Gastronomia Madeirense.

Wall To Wall

TAKEN February 19, Loulé

CAMERA iPhone

“Soon it will look like new again, despite the age of the building. Our intense summer heat can play havoc with finishes and crumbling walls need to be filled and smoothed before painting. This man is trusting a very basic bit of scaffolding.”

KEYWORD: OUTSIDE

Jan Tromp and his partner Ilona used to work in healthcare in the Netherlands. They have been active in the café and coffee roaster business in Loulé since arriving in 2016. Working with their hands has become part of their new life.

A well-meant homage to the people in Loulé who are working with their hands is the theme of his photo portfolio. Jan is the treasurer of the APG