Qualitaly_118

AUG. SEP. 2020 IX Let’s start from the beginning. How was the project born and how did it materialize over time? I worked in the restaurant industry for 25 years, when I started, I was only 14. For 6 years I left the sector working in an American home entertainment multinational achieving excellent results. I became a manager, managing millions in turnover and dozens of people but I didn’t feel fulfilled. About 4 years ago I decided to leave the multinational, obviously taking advantage of what I had learned over the years, and to start my own project in the world of food. This is how Borgo20 was born. Part entrepreneur, part chef. How do these two identities combine? I think my experience helps me a lot. First of all, I understood that at the head of a company - which I love to compare to a boat, another great passion of mine - the captain is the one who knows the route and destination but that the crew is fundamental! Each of us has equal importance for the achievement of the goal we have in common. In addition, I have used my knowledge to stay on the market in a healthy way, searching for the right quality in a sustainable way. You have an original claim: food on the move. What meaning do you give to this claim? This phrase means that in our country the menu is constantly changing according to the seasonality, the territoriality of the products and the occasions of the moment. In addition, we are always looking for excellence of any origin to cross with the excellence of our territory. Your bistro offers Italian and not regional cuisine in a region that often rewards regionality. Why this choice? I have put my passion to good use by always looking for excellence that should not be closely related to our region; moreover, many colleagues already offer excellent regional cuisine. Our intent was to weave products from every territory, treat and transform them as only a traditional Parmesan cook can do! Just think that even the tomato seems to have been born in Parma and instead comes from overseas. You have a very rich menu. Can you tell us about it? Actually, our menu is more varied than rich, let’s say transversal. We have 4/5 first courses, 4/5 second courses, 4/5 desserts and we use our Pan di20 as an appetizer or as a single course dish. What is that? Pan di20 is a highly digestible dough thanks to the selection of flours and the very long leavening process. It is often added to a pizza, in reality it wants to be something else: I would say that it is the combination of modern baking, pizzeria and kitchen ... it is a bread that is transformed through the hands of a chef who, with special combinations, textures and different cooking, tries to express the best taste. How important is it today to work on the dough? I firmly believe that to achieve excellent goals requires commitment and dedication, so I say yes, it is important to work on the dough. The digestibility of a ‘pizza’ and the ability to offer even different doughs today represents a step up... I think that offering different products always meet someone’s approval, they are new experiences and stimulate curiosity. During the lockdown you did several workshops to help Italians confined at home to make a good dough for bread or pizza. Can you tell us how the idea was born and how did you develop it? Suddenly I found myself with a lot of free time. That’s why I tried to fill my days doing what I like, also I felt the need to make people feel my closeness, certainly with what I know how to do! Why not give everyone the opportunity to bake good bread, with a simple processing without the need for special equipment? I have revealed some tricks and had a lot of positive feedback. Many people wrote to me, so I made videos of some simple recipes, little known and tasty ... I had fun. How much did it help your establishment for post-lockdown? It certainly had a positive feedback and it was a way to stay in touch with my customers despite the difficult moment... the kitchen always unites. How did you organize the delivery? Did you opt for special boxes for take-away to allow the customer to receive a pizza at the right temperature? It was a process on which we worked a lot. We wanted to guarantee the highest quality of the product without neglecting the ease of production, so after several tests we opted for home regeneration. Basically, we dismembered the product offering our pre-cooked bases and all the ingredients to fill them. In a maximum time of 5 minutes, between the end of cooking in the oven and the filling, with written instructions or video tutorials of 35-40 seconds, you can enjoy the Pan di20 just as at our tables. Tell us about your staff. How are you organized? There are 3 of us in the kitchen + a dishwasher and 3/4 in the dining room. I admit I am very lucky, Borgo20’s staff is a unique team working for the same goal. There is no division between the dining room and the kitchen, we are all players of the same team who score goals when the customer is happy and satisfied, and this happens only when everything works well: from the welcome, to the dish or glass and the final greeting. Ingredients and suppliers. How do you choose them? I choose them personally and I always try to establish a relationship of mutual trust. I NEVER choose them based on price, but always on the best value for money. The best is always in the right balance, which is the hardest thing to find. How is the activity going since the resumption of 18 May? Surely the way of working is different, more complicated and more expensive. We try to be very thorough, we have invested in equipment and staff training. Keeping the distance, we have lost a lot of place settings but the good season is helping us and I feel the desire to