The first edition for the German market of The Italian Show, the itinerant format dedicated to telling the stories of Made in Italy supply chains on international markets, was held on 7th November in Düsseldorf.
Organised by I Love Italian Food, the event took place in the exclusive Classic Remise, a vintage car showroom housing collectors’ items. In collaboration with the main trade associations in the area, the day allowed Italian producers and Consortia of Protection to get in touch with over 650 German professionals including chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers, buyers, distributors, journalists and influencers.
The rich schedule entertained visitors to the event from morning to late afternoon, with training sessions to educate professionals in the use of the excellence of the world of food, wine, and mixology, tasting sessions to allow local professionals to taste and get to know the flavours of our land, and moments of promotion and product storytelling, through the voices of the experts of Made in Italy in the territory.
During the morning, the stage hosted the Academy dedicated to the excellence of the Consorzia partners of the initiative, together with Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, Pecorino Toscano PDO, Prosciutto Toscano PDO, Finocchiona PGI, and Olio Toscano PGI.
Throughout the day, chefs from the Associazione Cuochi Italiani in Germania animated the Tasting Station with show cooking and tastings of partner products, from pasta to sauces, from cold cuts to cheeses. All products that guests at The Italian Show were able to learn more about thanks to the exhibition of more than 40 producers, consortia and distributors.
There were also two icons of Italian cuisine abroad, with the Pizza Academy together with Mulino Caputo flours and master pizza maker Fabio Cristiano, and the Gelato Academy together with Carpigiani and the master gelato maker Giorgio Ballabeni, a well-known professional from Munich.
“Germany was a difficult challenge at a difficult time. But we can say that episode zero on this market has passed the test and we have already scheduled the second German edition for next May,’ says Alessandro Schiatti, CEO of I Love Italian Food.
And then the world of wine in the Enoteca: over 1,000 glasses of wine were tasted during the tasting sessions led by Claudia Stern of Wine&Glory and the team of sommeliers from the Frankfurt AIS Club. Lots of space was dedicated to Lambrusco, but also to bubbles, Moscato d’Asti and other Italian wineries present at the event.
The mixology appointments in the Bar Station led by the team of the German Bartenders Guild, who mixed more than 100 cocktails to share not only the world of Italian spirits but also that of soft drinks, together with partners such as Galvanina, were also very popular.
It was a day full of emotions, especially for the chefs involved in the competition that animated the stage of The Italian Show in the afternoon, conducted by the well-known Stefania Lettini. In fact, the second European edition of The Best Chef Of Italian Cuisine – Parmigiano Reggiano Award was held in Düsseldorf, where six chefs competed for the title of best chef of Italian cuisine in Germany.
A jury of renowned chefs judged the work of the six contestants selected from an initial elimination phase of the competition. The jury was chaired by Nino Russo, President of the Italian Chefs’ Association in Germany, flanked by Enzo Oliveri, President of the Italian Chefs’ Federation in the UK, Mario Gamba, Chef of the Michelin-starred Acquarello restaurant in Munich, Carmelo Greco, Chef of the Michelin-starred restaurant of the same name in Frankfurt, and Gianluca Casini, Chef of the l’Arte in Cucina restaurant in Düsseldorf.
The Consul General of Italy in Cologne Luis Cavalieri also took part in the award ceremony, during which the title of Best Chef of Italian Cuisine – Parmigiano Reggiano Award was presented to Piedmontese chef Simone Dallosta, for his dish ‘Infanzia’ (Childhood), with a cheque for one thousand euros, handed over by the Consortium of Parmigiano Reggiano.
A great success for this new appointment of The Italian Show, which in 2023 will see four new appointments for professionals from the French, Belgian, British and German markets.