Libiamo, the online club of the best Italian wines & spirits in UK

London (Francesco Pappaleo)  – Are you in the UK but you miss your winery weekend? Libiamo is your answer: the online wine club that specialises in high-quality Italian wines & spirits.

Libiamo was born in 2014 owing to a collaboration between Italian and British partners who share a passion for the Made in Italy. Since that time Libiamo aims at establishing a community of Italian wine and food enthusiasts in the United Kingdom, taking inspiration from the famous toast in Giuseppe Verdi’s renowned opera La Traviata: “Libiamo nei lieti calici!” (“Let’s drink from the joyful cups”).

Everyone can have access to it and can be part of a new community to meet new friends by sharing the same interests.

By visiting the website you can discover a wide range selection of wines and Italian spirits that you can try by buying it online.

However, Libiamo is more than an online wine store: the club proposes a new approach to the Italian wine and food tradition by telling the cheerful stories hiding behind the wines and their producers, by suggesting the best food and recipes to pair the wines with.

Also, the club is promoting new tours through the most suggestive Italian vineyards and by organizing the most innovative wine tastings. So Libiamo gives you the chance to live the Made in Italy in total, by discovering more about the Italian culture and lifestyle. 

For this reason, Libiamo is a gastronomic philosophy, an innovative approach to wine enjoyment with friends, a journey through the history of Italian wine-making and a chance to visit Italy and her amazing landscapes.

Regarding the spirits, Libiamo features an outstanding selection of premium quality artisanal spirits from legendary Italian producers: grappa, vermouth, gin, nocino and limoncello. The secrets of mixology are revealed to all our friends.

To discover more visit the website libiamowines.co.uk and enjoy the true Italian lifestyle!

Morganti Caffè Bar opened in London bringing the taste of Italy in UK

London (Giulia Faloia) – Morganti Caffè Bar and patisserie A. Tornatora are now offering a piece of Italy in the center of London.

You can sit in the middle of Tottenham Court Road and taste the flavors of Rome thanks to coffee,  cornetti, snack on tramezzini, drink aperitivo, feast on gelato and dine on home-made food.

You can find the fragrance of the Italian bakery at 187 Tottenham Court Road, Fitzrovia, W1T 7PQ, getting the opportunity to try the Italian cornetto, that is a croissant very light and crumbly and made with very little sugar.

The opening in London is just the beginning of an international expansion programme and it keeps on increasing the reputation of an historical brand.

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In fact Morganti Caffé Bar was founded in Rome in 1890 and it has been hosting very famous consumers during the years. The Vatican for example – in particular Pope John Paul II – is one of Morganti’s greatest fan.

The family patisserie and bakery A. Tornatora is an historical brand too and it offers the very best in sweet and savoury artisanal gastronomy and home-made gelato of the highest quality.

Everything is handmade daily, using fresh, quality ingredients with the artisanal touch. Quality creations, including gluten-free, include mignons, classic pastries, cakes, ice-cream cakes, and custom made cakes. The deli counter offers light, tasty dishes, carpaccio, seafood and spelt salads, seasonal salads, savoury croissants, mini pizza and much more.  Ice creams are a feature, strictly home-made, with seasonal fruit and wholesome, high quality ingredients. 

Coffe and cakes in the centre of London that bring you on the shores of the Tiber. Everything you can ask for whether you prefer the Italian or the English taste.

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Morganti Caffè Bar loves the planet too. With the motto ‘greener every day’, they have been recycling everyday waste since 1985, they use roasting equipment which uses less fuel thus producing less emission and their coffee machines use less than half the energy than other machines.

You can have the opportunity to taste their creations at any time, since the Caffè is open seven days a week from 7 am to 10 pm for coffee, breakfast, brunch, express lunch and supper, including takeaway service. 

The lovers of the happy hour will be happy to try the Aperitivo Italiano, served every day from 6 pm for a fixed price of £9.50, to include a choice of Aperol Spritz, a glass of prosecco, a glass or wine or beer, with a generous selection of bite-size deli foods, prepared daily.

The very best choice for every kind of palate, try to believe. 

PIZZA TOSCANA COVERING NOTE

 

Pizza Toscana, a typical and unmatched handmade creation, was born in 2003 at La Bussola, Florence’s oldest pizzeria since 1960. By using Tuscan pecorino cheese rather than mozzarella, and chopped local tomatoes rather than passata, drizzled with Tuscan extra virgin olive oil as the base ingredients before adding other toppings, this different and totally Tuscan pizza practically became an overnight success. And not just with the locals, but with an international clientele.

Located in the heart of Florence and virtually next door to the British Embassy, whose staff patronised the restaurant daily and still do, Stefano Cresci’s father was constantly asked when they would open such a restaurant in London. When Stefano took over the family business, he stayed true to its value but with his more international outlook, he realised that London was ready for a Tuscan pizza. The ‘brand’ was created, and the first Pizza Toscana opens in in the heart of London in Wardour Street on 16 November 2016.

With 92 seats spread over three floors, Pizza Toscana embraces all that is traditional Tuscan – from the wood oven by Valoriani, the cutlery by Pinti, whilst the wood for the tables comes from the Chianti area. And all the products of course, are from Tuscany.

From the heart of Florence to the heart of London, You are invited to experience Pizza Toscana, opening on 16 November 2016 in Wardour Street.

Your invitation is enclosed and we look forward to your rsvp.

The Sardinian Porceddu sardo (a sweet flavoured suckling pig) goes to conquer London

London- (Caterina Belloni) Thanks to the cooperation with Sardinia wines and Antonello Salis, in fact, Monday 7th of November you can taste the pork cooked following the traditional recipe of the island in the first Festival of Sardinian procedure hosted by the United Kingdom. One more element to make known to the English-speaking world the delights of Italy.

The occasion will be the Gusto Italia show room, held in the ballroom of the Sheraton Hotel and that will see Sardinia depicted with numerous exhibitors. A leading role lies with the delegation of the Association Centro Storico Sa Costa of Bosa, which promotes the Bosa Wine Festival and will present its wines in London scenario. In the stalls set up for the region, sponsoring the event together with the municipality of Bosa, however, will be offered even the rice from Oristano, some other typical products, the mineral water Smeraldina. There will be men and women in traditional costume, will be revealed the wonders of the filet, the embroidery that made it famous and now comes in Bosa with thousands of shapes, from traditional lace to the recent production of textile jewellery. A terrific opportunity to discover a part of the island and describe its beauty.

Among the exhibitors engaged in fair, in fact, you will find wood and restoration experts, exhibitors of knives, craftsmen specialized in making traditional masks. “We’ll get to Bosa with a delegation of at least twenty people between companies and volunteers – says Mario Stara, President of Associazione Centro Storico Sa Costa promoting Bosa Wine Festival-. We will propose to the public, made up of buyers, distributors, chefs and experts, the peculiarities of our production, from food to wine up to the elements of artistic craftsmanship. This is our second visit to London and we are keen to continue this partnership with Gusto Italia to promote our wealth beyond the Italian borders. The idea is that you tighten trade relations, but also that you convince new tourists to reach Bosa and Sardinia, developing the market for travel and hospitality”.

An Expo to popularize Pistachio: Gusto Italia

The pistachio is now known all over the world. It is essential to prepare the cannoli, but not only, since it has become the key ingredient for a chocolate cream, sausage, arancini, pizza. An extraordinary food, who is carrying the name of Sicily in the world with new horizons. It is sure for Graziano Calanna, Mayor of Bronte, who launched for the product of his city an international Expo. And on November 7 and 8 will bring the Pistachio up to London to spread it on a different market. Although in the British capital the Pistachio already has strong supporters. These are the Bauso brothers, who created a corner of Sicily behind Victoria Station. Their place is called Etnacoffee and is the realization of a dream: to recreate in the heart of London a bar like those on the island, with people passing by to say hello, consuming coffee and a cannolo, having a taste of cake delight, or a lunch with arancini. “The aspect to point out is that we do not accept compromises. We are and we will remain strong to our point. We can serve focaccia and arancini, but no one should expect to find different products, not even a muffin, on our sales counter, “explains laughingly Gaetano Bauso. The idea is to make Etnacoffee a trade mark applicant and to open a new restaurant every six or eight months. “We love our land and we love what it produces, as the Pistachio” concludes Bauso, who attended the 2016 Edition of Pistachio Expo in Sicily and on the 7th will be at the show room of GustoItalia, at the Sheraton hotel, to celebrate its strong taste, which stems from the fact that is harvested in sciara, with lava rocks that gives flavour and unique organoleptic properties to it.

Italian Food enraptures the UK: Interview with Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health

Interview by Valentina Celi, Article by Ilaria Edja Gallo  

Interview with Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health.

Last night, Wednesday 28th September, from 6pm to midnight at Le Meridien Piccadilly, we celebrated Italian food, drink and culture. The event has been organised by CLWCA conservative Italian Group 2016 in collaboration with APCI UK, the Association of Italian Professional Chefs in the UK.

Many prominent political guests, such as Jeremy Hunt MP, Secretary of State for Health, Mark Field MP, Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party, Alberto Costa MP, South Leicestershire, Zac Goldsmith MP for Richmond Park & North Kingston and Dr Tania Mathias MP for Twickenham attended this amazing and successful event together with 450 guests.

Zac Goldsmith, LondonONEradio Staff. Photo by Leslie Weir, LondonONERadio- BenTV
Jeremy Hunt, LondonONEradio Staff. Photo by Leslie Weir, LondonONERadio- BenTV

The celebration has been accompanied by the amazing entertainment given by the acclaimed Italian tenor Yuri Sabatini and Giuseppe Mauriello, Laura Araldo, the guitarist Domenico Ranieri and The Tony P Riccio Trio.

LondonONEradio managed to question Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health about the importance of the mediterranean diet:

Do you think it is important to support the mediterranean diet and to promote it in the UK?

Absolutely, because we now have a huge amount of evidence that mediterranean diet is less salt, less red meat, more fish, olive oil instead of butter and this reduces cholesterol and therefore it reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, even things like Alzheimer and dementia. So it’s the best way of eating healthily and it’s also delicious. So most of this diet you go on, you have to deny yourself the best things, but actually the mediterranean diet is healthy and delicious so we would love more people to be on the mediterranean diet.

What is your plan of action about obesity? We know that in the past few years Uk developed and faced severe problems linked to obesity.

Well, we have the second largest problem with obesity in the whole of Europe, and we are very worried particularly for children who spend a lot of time behind computers, not as much time as they used to out and about playing. So we have a big plan to change it: we want to get children more active, we want to encourage manufacturers to reduce the sugar content in their food as there’s a lot of sugar in things like frozen pizzas, and actually you can reduce the sugar and not affect the taste. So we want to encourage people, encourage the manufacturers to do that, but we also need to promote understanding among consumers about an healthy diet and certainly mediterranean diet is a big part of that.

So is it possible to say that embracing the mediterranean diet would be the “best thing” for the UK population?

I think that we have to be careful because in this country people don’t like politicians telling them what to eat, so probably if you want to promote a mediterranean diet it’s not helpful to have Jeremy Hunt telling everyone to eat it. But I think you do the best job marketing it yourself. I mean the quality of Italian food that you can get in the UK, now, is transformed compared to 20 or 30 years ago. But I think, what I can do is to encourage everyone to recognize that olive oil is more healthy than butter, that fish is more healthy than red meat, and Italian food is a great way to enjoy those things.

Jeremy Hunt, LondonONEradio Staff. Photo by Leslie Weir, LondonONERadio- BenTV

Last but not least: which is your favourite Italian dish?

My favourite Italian dish? I have absolutely no hesitation in telling you the answer to that. I have a small holiday house in Sicily and the “Antipasti” from Sicily, they are my favourite. I am sorry if you’re from the north of Italy, but they are much nicer than “antipasti” from the North. And my daughter favourite dish,
without doubt, is Gelato, but for me it’s the “antipasti”.

The event had both an educational and charitable aim: in fact, the 20% of profits from the tickets sale will be used to help the people struck by the earthquake in Italy.

The sponsor for this event

DON’T WASTE FOOD: rather give it to the hungry

Luisa Liu
LONDON– The local daily newspaper London Evening Standard have just launched a campaign to collect wasted food in order to give it to the hungry in London. It could be seem odd that in London, one of the richest cities in the world, many Londoners suffer from hunger and struggle to feed themselves and their families properly.  And yet, every day hundreds of tonnes of surplus food are thrown away in our city.

That’s why Evening Standard chairman Justin Byam Sham and his wife Jane co-founded the Felix Project charity, set up in memory of their young son Felix, whose life was tragically cut short in 2014 at the age of 14. Thanks to this project the distribution of food -in order to make sure overyone gets a proper meal- becomes no so expensive anymore.
The Felix Project aims to collect the surplus food from food suppliers and  to distribute it to local charities, so that healthy meals for hungry ca be provided. The project simply wants to see Good Food Go to Good Causes, Food for London.
standard.co.uk
standard.co.uk

 

Eventhough the Food was Campaign was lanched just yesterday, today Global banking group Citi becomes the first enterprise to support the project, making £ 200 000 donation, in order to tackle food wast and hunger in London. This windfall will face Food poverty and Food waste issue.
You also can support this project: just donate food, money or become a volunteer to help with the Felix Project. Solving these challenges depend on your every singol action, however small it may be.

Welcome Italia 2016

Three days of Italian food, drink and business, with the best producers exhibiting their delicious creations and the participation of the best Italian chefs in the UK

Welcome Italia is the event organized by the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the UK dedicated to all food lovers that wish to discover and explore the best of Italian Food & Beverage: aromatic coffee, handmade pasta, delicate extra-virgin olive oil, fine truffles, exquisite cheeses and much more…1

As well as meeting the producers of the finest Italian excellencies, it will be possible to attend extraordinary cooking shows. The most famous Italian chefs in the UK will showcase their talent, recreating delicious and tasty recipes; Francesco Mazzei will hold a cooking demonstration and Danilo Cortellini, head chef at the Italian Embassy, will exhibit on the morning of Sunday 23rd. You will be able to find tasty recipes using Nonno Nanni’s soft cheeses and discover traditional dishes with chefs from the provinces of Novara, Perugia, Cosenza and Lazio region.

The first day (21st October) is a trade only day. It will be a unique opportunity for all Food & Wine professionals in London to discover new products and typical dishes. Moreover, it’s definitely the best stage for Italian producers to promote their business and get in touch with British importers and distributors.

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On 22nd and 23rd October Welcome Italia will open its doors to the public, who will be able to taste and buy products directly from the exhibitors, recreating the atmosphere of a real Italian Market. Our 60+ companies come from all over Italy and include producers of wines, beers, organic olive oils, regional specialities, charcuterie and some very particular products such as hemp flour pasta and salami matured in red wine.

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When?

Trade only day: 21st October (1pm-7pm)

Free to visit:   22nd October (10.30am-7pm)

23rd October (10.30am-5pm)

Where?

The Royal Horticultural Halls

Vincent Square, London SW1P 2PE

 

“London Calling”… and Italian gastronomy answers!

By Valentina Celi

The first edition of “London Calling” has just wrapped up, fulfilling its aim to represent the high quality of Italian culinary excellence in Britain.

Four days full of events to satisfy even the most demanding palates: this is “London Calling”, the event that sparked the first week of September in the British capital, with the intent to “promote the gourmet food made in Italy through a tasty and multi-sensory journey, involving Italian and British importers companies in the B2B meetings “.

The idea stems from the intuition of Confcooperativa and Confartigianato of the Emilia Romagna Region and the need to facilitate contacts between foreign countries and small and medium-sized Italian companies, the ones who most of all have suffered because of the economic crisis, and who are now seeking redemption thanks to the high quality and craftsmanship of their products.

Here is the complete list of companies that have taken part in “London Calling”:

“4 Madonne”, Dairy Farm, Lesignana (MO)

“Acetaia La Bonissima”, Balsamic vinegar makers, Casinalbo (MO)

“Attinà”, Preserved food factory, Villa San Giovanni (RC)

“Bardini” Chocolatiers, Piacenza (PC)

“BAUM”, Fair Trade, Ferrara

“Busuoli” Pastry, Mirandola (MO)

“Cantina Settecani”, Wine makers, Settecani Castelvetro di Modena (MO)

“Cantina Solopaca”, Wine makers, Solopaca (BN)

“La Contadina”, Preserved food factory, Sant’Antonio Abate (NA)

“Salumificio La Rocca”, Cured pork meat factory, Castell’Arquato (PC)

“Sapori del Duca”, Gastronomic Company, Pesaro

The young and dynamic team of INDIGO – International business developer, was in charge of the organizational part, and not only it garnered the support of some of the most interesting companies in the area, but it also increased the participation by going beyond the borders of the Emilia Romagna region, and involving some innovative factories from Southern Italy.

In the past days we had at LondonONEradio’s microphones one of the organizers, Daniele Catalano, who told us in detail the “London Calling” concept and gave us an insider’s perspective of the project; listen again to the interview on LondonONEradio.

To promote the Italian culinary excellence in the UK, the organisational team has given free rein to the creativity of the managers of the famous “Bacco”, Italian restaurant, who realized an ad hoc menu, to bring out the the maximum from the products, even adding some artistic twists.

Some of the courses of the “London Calling” dinner at Ristorante Bacco
Some of the courses of the “London Calling” dinner at Ristorante Bacco

Bystanders were able to enjoy the company of the producers, who have done their utmost to best explain the pursuit of quality of the raw materials and special processes used in processing their products, which were then tasted thanks to a six-course dinner, in which the Calabrian chef Andrea Librandi was able to give the right push to sponsored products, while enhancing the flavours of the interesting selection of wines.

The menu and wine list selected to represent Italian companies at London Calling
The menu and wine list selected to represent Italian companies at London Calling

In short, “London Calling” … and Italian gastronomy answers!