Five Minutes With… Enrico and Roberto Cerea

Brothers Enrico and Roberto Cerea were immersed in the world of gastronomy from a young age. They grew up helping at their parents’ restaurant, Da Vittorio, in Bergamo near Milan, and both went on to gain formal culinary training before returning to the family business. Over the years, they have transformed it into a high-end, three-Michelin-starred restaurant with numerous awards to its name. Nowadays Da Vittorio is run by their mother Signora Bruna Cerea, with Enrico and Roberto both working as chefs alongside their three other siblings.

Enrico and Roberto Cerea On Da Vittorio, Bergamo

What do you love the most about being a chef?

Enrico: The most beautiful thing? Making people happy! This has always been our family’s mission, since the restaurant was founded in 1966. For almost 60 years we have been trying to make those who sit at our tables feel good, with joyful, fun and above all mouth-watering cuisine, capable of triggering happy memories. We learnt this from our parents and we proudly carry on the example they set us. Whoever enters Da Vittorio is a full member of our extended family.

Is there a lot of pressure to continue the family love story?

Roberto: We don’t call it pressure, but a desire to keep improving, to find the right alchemy of flavours that satisfies our guests’ palates. Their satisfaction is our main goal.

You champion Mediterranean cuisine using the finest of local and seasonal produce. Why is it so important to highlight and support our farmers and fishermen?

Roberto: We process only the best raw materials because we want to offer our guests the true taste of local and seasonal products, which we interpret in our cuisine by trying to enhance the unique characteristics of each ingredient. This is why we believe in the work of qualified and certified producers, because they are the ones who keep the secrets to get the best out of a product.

You have collaborated with Planet Farms, a vertical farm founded by Luca Travaglini and Daniele Benatoff. Why did you decide to do this?

Enrico: When Luca Travaglini and Daniele Benatoff proposed us to collaborate on the Planet Farms project, we were won over because vertical farming is a tool that makes it possible to use resources sparingly in agriculture, guaranteeing 95 percent water savings, and zero percent use of herbicides and pesticides, and zero percent impact on the soil. Thanks to the custom-made vertical farm on our estate, we are able to grow baby leaves and vegetables that enrich our dishes and guarantee our guests a zero-metre product. 

Da Vittorio thus becomes an ambassador of a new food culture based on an integrated supply chain, zero waste, zero transport, and a responsible use of available raw materials. Today, more than ever, we are aware how important it is to feed the world without depriving it of its resources, and we believe that haute cuisine also has a fundamental role to play in conveying this message. This is why, through the installed vertical farm, we can set the right example.

How have you incorporated the vegetables and salads grown there onto your menu?

Roberto: We have also developed new recipes using products from our exclusive short supply chain, such as amberjack tacos with citrus fruits and herbs.

Who or what inspires you both?

Roberto: Life, first of all. We are lucky enough to travel a lot for work and to encounter cultures, cooking styles and ingredients that are always new and interesting. We literally feed on curiosity about what is around us: every moment and every corner of the world can offer us an inspiring insight into the world. But most of all it is our mamma Bruna, who gives us inspiration everyday with her passion and her commitment to this wonderful and challenging world.

Where do you see yourself and Da Vittorio in 10 years time?

Both: We hope to always be here, in the heart of our world made of pots and pans, hospitality, laughter and beauty. And may a new Da Vittorio generation know how to lead our restaurant into the future.