Massimo Bottura opened Osteria Francescana in Modena in 1995. An innovator and restaurateur for over twenty years, Bottura has consolidated his reputation as one of the world’s most creative culinary figures. His internationally renowned three Michelin star restaurant, Osteria Francescana, was named Number 1 on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2016 and for the second time in 2018.
In 1986 Massimo Bottura departed on his life’s journey when he bought Trattoria del Campazzo on the outskirts of Modena. Working alongside the rezdora Lidia Cristoni and an apprenticeship with French chef Georges Coigny, he built his culinary foundation on a combination of regional Italian cooking and classical French training. In 1994 Bottura sold Campazzo and departed for Montecarlo to work with Alain Ducasse at Louis XV. This experience proved in valuable for the chef and lead to opening Osteria Francescana a year later in his hometown of Modena. Several years later, Bottura had another life changing experience with Ferran Adria at El Bulli during the summer of 2000.
Bottura’s kitchen walks a thin line between tradition and innovation. His dishes explore the deep roots of the Italian kitchen while making references to history, art and philosophy. In 2002, Bottura received His First Michelin Sta,r followed by the second in 2006. Among numerous awards, he received the prestigious “Grand Prix de l’Art” from the International Culinary Academy in Paris in 2011 and a confirmation of a lifelong ambition with the third Michelin star. Osteria Francescana has been ranked at the Top of the Italian food guides for the past five years. Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef is the title of Massimo Bottura’s first English-language book, published by Phaidon Press in 2014. It documents the past twenty years of cooking as well as the evolution of Osteria Francescana through images, storytelling and the iconic recipes.
Massimo Bottura has also been recognised for his commitment against food waste and social isolation, calling for social responsibility among the culinary community. During Expo 2015, the chef created an off-site Expo project called the Refettorio Ambrosiano, a community kitchen in which chefs from around the world joined him to transform food surplus from the exhibition into healthy meals for those in need. As a consequence of the success of the project, Massimo founded the non-profit organisation Food for Soul together with his wife, Lara Gilmore. Since then, Food for Soul has established other projects: Refettorio Gastromotiva in Rio de Janeiro, Refettorio Felix in London, Refettorio Paris and Social Tables in Modena, Bologna and Naples.
To engage the wider audience in the fight against food waste, Massimo Bottura collected recipes and experiences of the chefs who cooked at Refettorio Ambrosiano in a book called “Bread is Gold”, published by Phaidon Press in 2017. Proceeds will help Food for Soul open and sustain new community kitchens around the world. On February 6th, 2017, Massimo Bottura received a prestigious honorary degree in Business from the University of Bologna. Dean Francesco Ubertini stated, “Massimo Bottura’s work spreads across the fields of entrepreneurship, education and technique and represents a virtuous example of the promotion of Italian Culture and Made in Italy.” This was the First Laurea Honoris Causa awarded to a chef in the history of the University. On April 23rd, 2018, the Academy of Fine Arts of Carrara also awarded Bottura with a diploma honoris causa in Arts.
While Osteria Francescana invites diners on an iconoclastic re-imagining of the Italian kitchen, Bottura’s second restaurant, Franceschetta 58, is a contemporary osteria that features exceptional ingredients served in a convivial atmosphere. In addition to his restaurants, Massimo created the Villa Manodori product line of award-winning balsamic vinegars and olive oils twenty years ago. Villa Manodori condiments are products of a lifetime obsession with quality ingredients. Toda,y the line products can be purchased at the finest gourmet markets around the world.
In 2019, Massimo Bottura and his wife Lara Gilmore opened Casa Maria Luigia, an 18th-century property surrounded by the agricultural landscape of the Emilian countryside, turned into a guest house with the intention of extending the art of hospitality beyond the doors of Osteria Francescana. The energetic and ever-curious chef resides in his beloved hometown of Modena, located in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, with Lara and their two children, Alexa and Charlie.
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Article edited by Michael Brown