Better one day as a chef
On January 20, 2022, BLab inaugurated a series of professional meetings entitled ‘Better One Day as a Chef.’ “A neutral ground— as BLab’s CEO, Lucia Bonassisa, described it during the launch— to offer directors and key players in the agri-food sector the chance for constructive dialogue, a platform through which to make appeals and, why not, try to build a new ethic of agri-food production.” The first guest of the series, warmly welcomed by professionals in the field, was chef Cristina Bowerman, who publicly shared the story of her remarkable career: from Apulia to California, from graphic design to the kitchen, all the way to the presidency of the association Ambasciatori del Gusto (which includes the finest Italian and international chefs). Below is a brief excerpt from her talk at BLab.
BLab is a reality very different from what one might expect, not only in terms of expertise and quality, but also in scale, with highly sophisticated machinery and truly competent, passionate people. Today’s meeting (January 20, 2022, the first event in the series “Better a day as a chef”; editor’s note) was extremely posi-tive, first of all because it gave me the opportunity to really see, close up, a world I had always heard about and even benefited from, but had never witnessed so closely, to understand how it works. At the same time, I hope I was able to offer a different perspective on food safety—seen from our side, that is, from the world of catering, understood strictly as chefs, cooks, and all those involved. I sincerely hope that these ex-changes, which are absolutely positive in terms of the company’s growth and the strengthening of collabo-ration between two worlds linked by an invisible thread, will continue and develop even further. I also hope that this connection, between what agrifood companies do, those who oversee them, and finally the food industry, will improve in quality, offering consumers ever greater awareness and information truly in line with the times we live in.
Chef, Cristina Bowerman
The second event in the Better One Day as a Chef series featured Davide Oldani, creator of Cucina Pop (holder of two Michelin stars and one Michelin Green Star for Sustainable Gastronomy). On October 3, 2022, Oldani visited the BLab laboratories where—after a long and careful inspection of the equipment and various departments—he held two meetings: one with BLab employees, as a moment of scientific training and fruition of ideas; the other with agri-food producers, BLab clients and partners. Following the encounter with Cristina Bowerman, this was another opportunity for the entire laboratory to grow. Through these exchanges, BLab offers not only its collaborators, but also the wider community, a compelling reason to continue supporting the social values of its identity. Davide Oldani is considered one of the most renowned and respected chefs in the world, as well as one of the leading ambassadors of Italian cuisine worldwide.
Fotografie di Sergio Grillo, per gentile concessione
Here I discovered a truly fantastic, surprising reality—something I had never imagined. And it was wonder-ful, because many of us do not realize that behind the products on the store shelves there is so much effort, hard work, but above all science and awareness. Providing data about what we eat, with honesty and ethics, also becomes a matter of conscience. I accepted BLab’s invitation because I sensed, in the way they approached me, an extraordinary passion and conviction; I felt their urgency to convey the message of what they do. And I was right to come, because what I saw here eases my restlessness and nourishes my desire to know and to learn more about what I have chosen to dedicate my life to.
Chef, Davide Oldani
“In this laboratory I found a professionalism and passion I had not imagined, along with an impressive level of awareness and expertise… I decided that I will send the products I work with every day here to be analysed, both those I create myself and those I rely on. Because now, having touched the competence of Bonassisa Lab, my hope is to establish a lasting collaboration … “. These were the words of Chef Niko Romito at the end of the meeting held on May 9, 2023, in the conference hall of the Bonassisa laboratories in Foggia, during the third appointment of the food safety series Better One Day as a Chef. Romito—three Michelin stars earned in just seven years, and the only Italian chef invited to speak at the UN on food safety and environmental sustainability—spent the day touring the laboratories where he met with agrifood entrepreneurs and professionals, “… in an extraordinary and fertile setting, full of exchanges of ideas and visions for the future, because there can be no future for agri-food without the agri-food industry,” added Niko Romito.
“Our idea of nutrition is still stuck in the mid-1950s – said Niko Romito, repeatedly listed among the best chefs in the world. Today young people know a great deal about labels, sustainability, contamination and tips for proper nutrition. Some time ago, when I changed the menu by introducing some entirely plant-based meals, the reaction was very clear: the dining room was full of young people, even very young ones, because, as I said, they have an awareness that is infinitely greater than ours, referring to their age. They want to learn, to research and grow. They want to understand, and on this desire to understand, we and the agri-food industry should build a new ethical consciousness of nutrition.”
Chef, Niko Romito
“I was not ready for this truly unique and extraordinary reality. I must confess that I was not ready for this professionalism and this way of interpreting the business. I visit many laboratories in Italy and abroad, both food safety and food-processing industries, but what I found here at BonassisaLab, compared to others, is something that cannot be bought or borrowed. And that is passion, passion combined with the youth of all the employees. Here there is truly a vision of the future…”. These were the words of chef Heinz Beck after the meeting held on October 19, 2023, in the conference hall of the Bonassisa laboratories in Foggia, as the fourth and final event of the food safety series Better a day as a chef. Beck (holder of 3 Michelin stars and renowned as one of the world’s greatest chefs) spent an entire day at BonassisaLab, he met the employees, visited the laboratories and later met industrialists and agri-food operators. “… one of the most beautiful days possible when I am away from my restaurant,” added Heinz Beck.
Chef, Heinz Beck
