Comm. Antonio Carluccio OBE - celebrity chef Members Accademia Apulia engages with Art and Culture in London: film, theatre, music and drama in london and friends from Puglia in London. Find details of London galleries, theatres and museums. Also find career, education and job opportunities in London.

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Comm. Antonio Carluccio OBE - celebrity chef

In September 2008, Antonio Carluccio, the much loved and respected Italian cookery writer, celebrated 50 years of championing, cooking and eating genuine, regional Italian food and wine. In 1958 at the age of 21 he began to cook simple pasta suppers for himself and his flat-mate on a two-ring stove in Vienna. Now, known for his gentle manner, gruff voice and his wild crop of white hair, Antonio is regarded as the Godfather of Italian gastronomy.
After time spent living in Germany, in 1975 Antonio moved to London and while learning English, traded as a wine merchant of Italian wines.
Antonio took over the Neal Street Restaurant in Covent Garden in 1981, which traded for 26 years. In 1991 Antonio opened a deli next to the restaurant and in 1998 started the first Carluccio's Caffè in Market Place, London. Today, Carluccio's operates from over 45 UK locations. In addition the company has granted franchises over two territories: the first over Ireland (North and South), with presently one location open in Dublin; the second over 6 countries in the Middle East.
In 1983 Antonio made his first appearance on BBC 2 talking about Mediterranean food and at the same time was asked to write his first book, An Invitation to Italian Cooking. Subsequently. he has written eighteen books, published worldwide and made numerous television programs including the hugely popular Antonio Carluccio's Northern Italian Feast and Southern Italian Feast.
In 1998, Antonio was awarded the Commendatore OMRI by the President of Italy for services to Italian gastronomy, the equivalent of a British knighthood. In 2007 he was awarded an honorary OBE.

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Accademia Apulia has asked Antonio Carluccio the following questions:

Antonio Carluccio, Godfather of Italian Gastronomy, how did your passion for cooking begin?
It began when, as a student, I longed for my mother’s cooking. Despite her 6 children, my mother always made sure she cooked delicious meals for her family. So, as a student away from home, all I could remember was the taste of my mothers cooking in my mouth, with no knowledge to go by, as I had never before done any cooking. However, I knew I was on the right path because of the encouraging comments my fellow students made at the end of every meal. I ended up cooking all the time.

You have been awarded a knighthood by the President of Italy and made an OBE by the Queen and more recently, an Honorary Member of Accademia Apulia. Not bad for a youngster who began to cook pasta on a one-ring stove in Vienna. How do you feel about such great achievements?
Of course I am most honored, but none of these titles go to my head because anyone putting their mind to it would succeed. I am also lucky; maybe I met the right people at the right time. But my passion for food, its history, that’s something so close to my heart - that’s the winning formula in everything I’ve done so far.

What would you say attracts young people to become chefs these days?
There is a lot of glamour attached to the profession, so many youngsters aim to become celebrity chefs. But that’s wrong. I believe that first and foremost, a young chef’s utmost desire needs to be that of enjoying cooking, nothing else. Celebrity chef status is something that eventually comes. You’ve worked so hard that one-day you find yourself writing your very first cookery book...

And you have published several already.
Yes, eighteen.

Anymore in the pipeline?
Sure, there is a new book coming.

Any plans to retire, Antonio?
Retiring? Retiring is dying.

Can you tell us more about this latest book?
I am working on my biography. I decided to embark on this voyage to discover who I am. My life is very faceted - the past twenty years have been very busy. This is a time to reflect. Writing a diary is something I recommend anyone to do.

There have been speculations that in September 2008 you suffered a breakdown. Can you tell us about it?
There was a change of directions, including a divorce. I began to see the world in a different light. I am now inclined to be more curious about life - what’s next, how will I go further. Always lots to do, good things to achieve.

"Je en regret rien." If you could turn back the clock, is there anything that you would do differently.
No, I would not. I am the result of all the ups and downs that characterised my life. If you took away the downturns, how would I ever learn or even appreciate the other end of the spectrum?

Cooking is not the only thing you’ve been involved with. You do significant charity work and The Warrior Program is one such program. Please tell us more.
It’s a great charity that helps soldiers from war-torn areas. It helps soldiers recover from the psychological and physical effects of modern conflicts. I help these people by teaching them how to cook, to appreciate food, but most importantly, I give them the attention they deserve.

"Money does not buy happiness, but it buys everything else." How true is this statement?
Of course I like money, but making money cannot be one’s only objective in life, that would be too sad. It’s got to be said, that if you have a professional approach in what you do, money will come anyway - you really don’t need to look for it - it just comes.

What is hope for Antonio Carluccio?
My biggest hope is that religious leaders can recognise that they are barking against the wrong tree. In the process of showing to each other, which is the supreme religion, they are fighting one another, instead of using that energy to create unity.

What, in your opinion, could be a unifying factor for the faiths?

I will tell you a little story. I used to know a great Jewish man who gave me a maxim every time I saw him. Once he said: if you have a shilling and I have a shilling, we would have a shilling each. But if for whatever reason I was to need two shillings to buy something, I wouldn’t be able to. But if you have an idea and I have an idea, then we can both use two ideas.
I feel that this metaphor is at the base of every communication. If you express yourself to another, you share with that person your knowledge, which can be used by the other and vice versa.

After ten years developing the Carluccio's café business, you are no longer a director. Are you working on some new exciting idea?
I am now a consultant for the company, devising menus and training new chefs on the block.

Is it true that you trained Jamie Oliver as a trainee pastry chef at your Neal Yard restaurant?
Yes, Jamie was a true rising star. His career speaks volumes.

What are the whole-marks of a good chef?
First of all, a passion for cooking, good taste buds and a hunger for knowledge and experimentation.

What is your message to aspiring young entrepreneurs?
I will tell them the story of the butterfly that fell into a glass of milk. The butterfly thought that its end was near and as it flattered its wings not to drown, it turned the milk into butter.

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