Refettorio Ambrosiano

Refettorio Ambrosiano is built in the old theatre connected with the parish church of San Martino, in Greco, in the suburbs of Milan. It’s a room from the Thirties, later abandoned, which will be completely renovated and redesigned by great artists, designers, artisans and architects. A space in which – during each of the 30 days in May 2015 – the greatest Italian and international chefs will cook the food left over in the pavilions of the Expo, for students at lunchtime and for the poor in the evening.

This is the beautiful event presented this morning in the headquarters of Milan’s Archdiocese. The project was created by chef Massimo Bottura and by Davide Rampello, the curator of pavilion zero and of the programme of events scheduled for Expo 2015. This idea involves Milan’s Archdiocese and Caritas Ambrosiana, the Ministry of Environment, artists such as Enzo Cucchi, Carlo Benvenuto, Maurizio Nannucci, designers such as Mario Bellini, Pierluigi Cerri, Aldo Cibic and many more. With the support of Politecnico di Milano, Alma Graduate School, Artemide, Alessi, Eataly, Kartell, Lavazza, Sanpellegrino…

Selecting the chefs was a task assigned to Bottura, the most beloved Italian chef in the world, even by his colleagues. «I began», Bottura recalled the genesis of the project, «by considering the charity-beauty pair. And the real theme behind Expo, that is to say feeding the planet. I focused on the sense of doing, of making one’s self available to others. After all, we are not rock stars but chefs who every day do nothing but feed others». In the chef’s initial idea there was Milan’s station: «I wanted a remake of "Miracle in Milan". We then decided to focus on the suburbs, a desire that is dear to the Holy Father. We found this incredible oratory in Greco: an abandoned theatre which is still alive thanks to children playing and screaming. It struck our hearts».

This was the trigger: «We will cook, teach and show that great chefs around the world are not far away from people, but very close. Many of the colleagues I contacted, accepted to come without even letting me finish to speak. Who are they? Among the international ones, Ferran and Albert Adrià, Renè Redzepi, Alex Atala, David Chang,Daniel Boulud, Andoni Luis Aduriz, Elena Arzak, Gaston Acurio, Yoshihiro Narisawa, Magnus Nilsson, Gaston Acurio, Alain Ducasse, Michel Troisgros, Virgilio Martinez. Among the Italians, Gualtiero Marchesi, Pino Cuttaia, Carlo Cracco, EnricoCrippa, Niko Romito, Davide Scabin, Andrea Berton, Mauro Uliassi, Moreno Cedroni, Davide Oldani, Nadia and Giovanni Santini, Umberto Bombana… but there will certainly be more because I’m waiting for new replies».

Charity, goodness and beauty. To get an idea, from 2008 to 2012 the number of people who asked for the food package in Milan’s shelters has increased by about a third. This while the world continues to produce 30% food more than what is actually used. «Every day, eight-hundred people in the world», cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan explained during the presentation of the Refettorio «risk starving to death. So I’d like to thank all those who try to make people sensible to this essential priority».