Massimo Bottura

Chef at Osteria Francescana*** (Modena, Italy)

Bottura is a benchmark for modern Italian cuisine.

Born in Modena, the chef says he grew up under the kitchen table watching his grandmother cook. In his early years, he worked with top chefs such as French chef Alain Ducasse, who is said to have invited him to join his team after visiting Trattoria del Campazzo, the first restaurant Bottura opened.

Osteria Francescana was born in 1995 as a small restaurant that combined culinary tradition and innovation with contemporary art and design. Today, with restaurants all over the world, it also owns a hotel, an Acetaia that produces traditional balsamic vinegar, the Villa Manodori brand of artisanal condiments, as well as various cultural projects.

In 2016, he and his wife Lara Gilmore founded Food for Soul, a cultural project that aims to empower communities, rescue food that would otherwise be thrown away and fight social isolation, and in recent years has supported the creation of 12 soup kitchens in 9 countries, and is still working to expand that number.