On our recent trip to Lake Como, the land from which our Nonno hails, we were struck by the similarities our associates on the lake were experiencing to that of ours back home in the hospitality industry.
Myself, cousin Dom and good friend Josh Eggleton spent the first part of our trip hiking the vast mountains that join Lake Como to Switzerland in the North. The sheer magnitude of nature in all its glory really is a sight to behold and I would highly recommend making the physical effort to reach some of the peaks on the lake if ever you were to visit. The lakeside restaurants and bars are picturesque and laden with delicious treasure but from the tops of the mountain there is a stillness and panoramic view that provides a bounty unparalleled for the soul.
With blood, sweat and tears sacrificed to the hills, we then spent a guilt free afternoon at Mamete Prevostine, a wonderful wine maker to the North of Lake Como in Valtellina. I believe being the sole (Bristol) importer of these fantastic wines has been one of Dom’s proudest achievements to date and in tasting their range of wines myself & Josh, could see why.
On driving home to Griante, the lakeside town where our Nonno was from, we stopped at a supermarket to buy some provisions for dinner the next day. Every time I step foot into a supermarket in Italy, France or Spain I am instantly blown away by the quality and range of ingredients. We walked away with two full baskets containing cheese, salami, fennel, winter tomatoes, ox liver and t-bone steak to name but a few...
The next morning we start the day by paying our respects to the Bianchis passed. Just a few minutes walk from Dom’s family apartment in an old walled garden, the Griante grave yard is open to all, no matter if you are there to lay flowers or pay your respect to those graves unbeknown to you. It’s quite a mystical place and a real insight into the history of the surrounding area with graves that date back to the 1800's. So many men lost to war and mothers laying alongside their children who died before them, so young in an era where medicine had not yet advanced to save lives as it does today.
We then walk along the lakeside to the village of Tremezzo, where our Uncle Arnaldo used to live. On arriving we see the famous Grand Hotel, a symbol of the Lakes wealthy heritage. Now closed for the winter season, the magnificent old building stood like a sleeping giant waiting to be awoken by the warm spring sun and the return of the noisy tourists snapping at its heels. As we sit at a cafe for paninis and coffee (followed by a pre-midday glass of wine) we catch up on the news from back home, each of us checking the restaurant reports from the day before. In Bristol we are blessed to be part of an industry that supports each other and Josh (The Pony Group) has been a mainstay in our journey since we met back in 2016 when we opened Pasta Loco. Now more of a brother to us than a friend, it was a real pleasure to bring Josh to our home away from home for his first visit. Our conversation ranges from the state of the hospitality industry, to memories of food forgotten, back to the state of the wider world in which we live, how we can help, what others are doing to help and then inevitably its back onto what we should eat next. Its a simple formula with scope to go on and on and on.
That afternoon once again we head to pay our respects, only this time to a very special person of whom is held in our highest regard, our Nonna. As you walk through Griante at almost every outlook you can see high above the town perched on the cliff side the church of St.Martino. A pilgrimage one might say, a steep 45 minute walk up through the wooded path shared with mountain goats and fat dairy cows grazing on the thick foothills below. Upon approaching the church the view opens up over the lake and it honestly takes your breath away. And so it is here that Nonnna’s ashes were laid to rest. Our Nonna was an incredible woman, born in Glasgow (yes she was not the Italian link, that was her husband Aldo) she had a very hard life growing up in real poverty, she raised her three girls for the most part on her own whilst working as a waitress doing 80hr weeks to support the family. Although it was our grandad who was the Chef/restaurant manager from Italy, it was our Nonna who taught and inspired us to do what we do today.
From as far back as I can remember I associate my early memories of food, and booze for that matter, to my Nonna - she poured me and Dom a negroni decades before it became the go to ‘cocktail of the week’ in the UK. I still remember the smell of so many of the dishes she would cook for us, minestrone soup, Irish lamb stew, bolognaise and bacon pea risotto the list and the memories go on and on.
And so it was a poignant moment when I saw Dom pull from his coat a plastic bottle filled with red wine grown by the lake, he said a few words as he poured the wine into the ground. Mother nature and our Nonna sat at the same table, Gods in their own right, enjoying Earth’s great splendors.
That afternoon we got back to doing what we love best, even before eating, the ritual of cooking! With two local gentleman joining us for dinner it was a chance for me and Josh to represent the English kitchen in what can be a hostile environment at times......
Our guests arrive at around 6pm.
First in was Jos, a Dutch man who has lived on the lake for over 25 years and runs his own Wine Bar and restaurant called Cantina Follie. Its an amazing back street place, with a windy staircase that has the thick alluring stench of red wine creeping up from the overflowing cellars below. Jos is a real character who can drink and talk most hospo pros under the table but on this night we were in the mood to hold our own.
Next in was Evan, a slightly older statesman of the lake, born and bred, who for many years ran the local bar, the jewel of Griante in Doms eyes and perhaps where his ‘retirement’ plans lie. Evan is obsessed by food and wine and makes for a brilliant guest at any table with his cheeky humour and great desire for the good things in life.
I cooked the first course, the classic Carbonara made with Guanciale, egg yolks, parmesan and pecorino. Its classic for a reason, its just so delicious, the emulsion of the eggs, pork fat, starchy pasta water and cheese make for a savory custard like no other.
As much as the ‘Loco’ carbonara is our greatest ever selling dish at the Bianchis Group I would never cook this in Italy, atleast I wouldn’t proclaim it to be anything like a Carbonara for fear that the deceased residents of the graveyard would come alive in disgust for my blasphemy and seek retribution!
We drink a 2013 Opera, a gift from Mametes own private cellar, as we slurp down the golden strings of spaghetti and ease into the evening having skipped on past the early polite proceedings.
Josh would take the next course. Ox liver. We first had to deal with the drama of a blown fuse, turns out there isn’t quite enough power for two excited chefs from Bristol back on the hobs after three days of not cooking. Alas it turns out Jos has experienced this many times and with the switch of a fuse from the microwave we are good to go!
Anyone that knows Josh will know that he loves offal and my god does he nail the cooking of it. Turns out Ivan is also a big fan. With the T-bone steak (the main event) now resting by the wood fire Josh begins to remove the membrane, our guests watch on with respect for his artistry as they laugh along to Dom’s commentary, his artistry for which he is second to none.
Cooking liver is a delicate process that requires timing and care, cooked too long and it can taste like a bitter old boot. But as I mentioned before, Josh knows what he’s doing. He sears 5 thin pieces at a time in sage butter then plates topped with an onion and fennel agro dolce that I prepared earlier, a kind of sweet and sour dressing, the perfect compliment to balance out the bitterness of the liver. It’s safe to say the liver was a great success, with Ivan confessing his deepest offal desires had been met like never before and enquired as to whether Josh was married?!
Then came the t-bone steak, by this point we were onto the second magnum of red wine and if I’m honest the liver had already stollen the show. As we sat and ate the ruby red ribbons of beef with turnip tops and parmesan it felt as though we were deep into the commune by now.
Both our guests have had a lifetime association with hospitality, they have trained in their expertise and worked long, hard hours to get to where they are now. We spoke about how hard our industry had become in the UK, with margins getting tighter and tighter, costs rising, the pool of staff diminishing and the public’s general dining habits changing, to the detriment of the restaurant industry.
We were shocked to hear that even on lake Como, a hugely popular tourist destination, restaurants were feeling the same strain. Its not a surprise that the business is seasonal there but where as before when business was booming and you could make great money during the summer season, enough to cover the quieter months, it is now no longer the case. People either don’t have the money to spend anymore or their habits have changed and they no longer see eating out as a priority. This coupled with the huge shortage of skilled staff who are committed to working hard for a good wage many restauranteurs are working 80hr weeks with very little financial reward.
I was lucky enough to grow up from a young age knowing exactly what I wanted to do, I wanted to be a Chef. Food was my language from the start, it spoke to me, made me excited, made me sad, inspired me and led me to where I am today. Through hard work, with support and mentoring from some brilliant people along the way and no doubt a fair bit of luck I have got to where I am today. But the environment has changed so much and my biggest fear is not ‘will my business survive?’ its ‘will their always be an independent representation in our industry?’.
With taxes on the up, growing costs and wealthy landlords having the monopoly on venues it feels as though the land is being laid for large corporations as they are the only operators who can survive these harsh conditions.
I don’t have a problem with capitalism, its a big part of what drives independent owners to grow and become more successful. However, this new world that we are heading towards is Corporate Capitalism where the balance is so heavily weighed in favour of these huge companies that the smaller sized businesses will one day be a thing of the past. And from talking to our friends in Como this is not just something we are experiencing in England but the world over.
That evening was the perfect end to our time in Italy, we sat with new friends, fellow comrades speaking of the concerns for our industry. But we also rejoiced in what we do, we broke bread together and shared in the commune of hospitality. Yes, my grasp of the Italian language is poor at best but that night we spoke in the language of food, a dialect I have long known and will never forget.
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