Bellavita Expo: the best in Italian food and drink comes to London
Bellavita Expo, the largest Italian food and drink fair in London, is open to the public on Sunday 17 July. Learn more about Italian produce, cooking and speciality drinks and gain a deeper understanding of one of the greatest cuisines in the world.
Bellavita Expo: the best in Italian food and drink comes to London
Bellavita Expo, the largest Italian food and drink fair in London, is open to the public on Sunday 17 July. Learn more about Italian produce, cooking and speciality drinks and gain a deeper understanding of one of the greatest cuisines in the world.
View more from this series:
Italian wineBellavita Expo, the largest Italian food and drink fair in London, brings together a huge range of food and drink experts and world-class chefs to celebrate the quality and diversity of Italian cuisine. The country's culinary history is steeped in regional tradition, with the dishes of each area built around the remarkable natural ingredients and crafted products found in the locality. With over twenty distinct culinary heritages to draw from, Bellavita Expo seeks to showcase this incredible variety.
Small, artisan producers will be telling the stories behind their unique products. Taste their work – the famous cured meats of the country such as pancetta, ‘nduja and Parma ham and well-loved cheeses like Gorgonzola, mozzarella and Parmesan, all perfected over hundreds of years of practice.
There will be ideas for dealing with Italian staples such as polenta and barley, and fresh Mediterranean produce – lemons, tomatoes, courgettes and aubergines, at their sun-drenched best when harvested during the Italian summertime.
Less ubiquitous vegetables celebrated in the country are also featured; think cavolo nero, Romanesco, artichoke and bitter leaves such as chicory. Try the best of Italian flavours – porcini, truffle, basil, anchovy, capers, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic, or more unusual specialities such as liquorice and sorrel.
Expert wine and speciality drink workshops and tastings run throughout the weekend, with individual grape varieties, such as Barolo, in the spotlight and regions such as the Apennines (Marche, Abruzzo and Toscana) examined in detail. Grappa – the Italian spirit – will also be explored. Discover more about the biodynamic agricultural practices that many winemakers are now turning to and learn about emerging trends for natural wines. The Italian Association of Sommeliers will be hosting its UK Sommelier of the Year competition, so many of Britain’s best Italian wine experts will also be on hand.
Live events, presentations and cooking demonstrations will be held on the Theatre Stage, with top Italian chefs such as Aldo Zilli, Massimo Bottura, Theo Randall and Francesco Mazzei, all on the roster.
Although two of the three exhibition days are trade-only, on Sunday the event opens up to the public. If you are passionate about Italian food, or would like to know more about the people that make the country’s cuisine so revered, this is the food fair for you.
SITES
