The end of the Weekend Food Festival program was reserved for the best of the best. After Spanish culinary virtuoso Dabiz Munoza, the Weekend stage was graced by Massimo Bottura. One of the greats of the industry, Bottura is an award-winning chef and owner of several restaurants—including the world-famous Osteria Francescana with three Michelin stars. Not only is he a master in the kitchen, but he’s also a great philanthropist. In an inspiring 1-on-1 conversation with the director of the Weekend Food Festival program Hrvoje Petrić, this globally respected chef and ambassador of Italian culture and art revealed what it is like to run a restaurant empire, while also offering some advice for young chefs.
“No more excuses. I even had it tattooed on my arm. We have a great responsibility and we have to do something about it. The world needs us,” said Massimo Bottura at the start of his humorous yet serious interview in front of the packed hall at the Weekend Food Festival. “If you realize how precious time is, you can accomplish a lot,” Bottura continued. The world’s best chef and gastro expert has definitely done a lot, and continues to do his best with innovative projects, top-notch cooking and charity work. How often have you come across a millionaire chef awarded with multiple Michelin stars who started and ran a soup kitchen? Shortly before the Covid-19 pandemic, he opened a restaurant in Los Angeles which was temporarily closed due to restrictions. “When the staff asked me what to do, I told them to go and help people. Skid Row, one of the poorest parts of L.A., is just a few miles from the restaurant so I instructed the staff to go and start volunteering. Professional and renowned chefs went to one of the poorest neighbourhoods of this most glamorous city and set out to teach local kitchen volunteers how to work and serve 500 people. (…) My staff became part of the soup kitchen community and they continue to help the needy,” Bottura revealed.
If anything has proven to be a universal idea and trend throughout the Weekend Food Festival then it is certainly the concepts of sustainable, green and indigenous cuisine. Through numerous panels, lectures and discussions, these topics were repeatedly highlighted by domestic and foreign chefs alike, as well as other members of this extensive industry. The conversation with Massimo Bottura was just further confirmation that the world of gastronomy is moving towards a sustainable future—a concept that may seem new, but is actually based on a return to the past. Bottura’s Food for Soul project has the ambitious goal of changing the global awareness of hunger, community and values in order to ultimately bring about much-needed change. However, Food for Soul is not the only project by which Massimo Bottura seeks to bring about positive change to all corners of the earth. For years, his entire oeuvre has combined top-notch cuisine with a humane approach in various ways, and in the process, he has offered advice and inspiration to young chefs around the world.
“Always leave the door open for poetry. Don’t forget where you come from and who you are, because diversity and culture are important. Learn as much as possible when you are young and develop a vision of where you want to go. Don’t try to do everything, but rather focus on learning one thing and doing it really well. Step by step, spread good ideas, vibes and an ethical approach—that’s how the future is built,” he said. The Weekend Food Festival definitely was not lacking in prestigious names from the world of gastronomy, but Massimo Bottura once again showed that he is not only a culinary superstar, but also a truly good man.
