A NEW PHILOSOPHY OF TASTE IS BORN IN TURIN WITH ADRIÀ, ZANASI AND FERRETTI

Condividere: an Italian word meaning “sharing with others,” derived from the Latin cum and dividere. The new gourmet restaurant CONDIVIDERE by Lavazza is the expression of a new philosophy of taste, introducing an innovative way to enjoy food inspired by the informal sharing of dishes by masters. The restaurant will be located at the new Lavazza headquarters, in the heart of Turin, underscoring the city’s intent to play a leading role in haute cuisine, in addition to being the coffee capital of Italy. Created by Lavazza and developed with Ferran Adrià, CONDIVIDERE by Lavazza will feature a setting designed by three-time Academy Award-winning art director, Dante Ferretti, and the brilliant young Italian chef, Federico Zanasi, will be responsible for the management of the restaurant and head the kitchen.

“Studying. Knowing. Communicating: the past is fundamental for understanding the future, and it must be clear that when we share food, we are more importantly sharing knowledge.” This is how Ferran Adrià — food philosopher and international culinary guru with his elBulli Foundation — describes Lavazza’s new project. “The idea behind CONDIVIDERE stems from the friendship that has tied me to the Lavazza family for years. This is why, when I was asked to help select the chef who would be responsible for running the restaurant, I focused on finding a person who fully embraces our love for taste. Together we recognized that the charismatic Federico Zanasi was the right person to skilfully head this venture. CONDIVIDERE will offer a shared, high-end gastronomic experience, in an environment where people can feel at ease and socialize, as well as share and seek quality and love for food. A new experience in a friendly, informal setting where sharing food is enhanced by superior ingredients and execution.”
“Our relationship with Ferran Adrià, marked by research and innovation, has been solid and fruitful since 2000 when we first met in Turin,” recalls Giuseppe Lavazza, Vice President of the company. “Seventeen years later, here we are again with the desire to outdo ourselves with a restaurant concept that completely fascinates us, and that will also be an integral part of our new headquarters complex in the heart of Turin. We have come up with an innovative format for a restaurant that is as democratic as it is unique. Coffee was finally introduced to the world of haute cuisine in 2000 as a result of the Coffee Design trend launched by Lavazza. The time has come to offer Turin a proposal that can make yet another contribution to the already rich culinary scene of our territory and our city.”

With over 5,000 square feet of taste and experience, CONDIVIDERE will animate the “Cathedral,” the former Enel power plant inside Lavazza’s new headquarters. The kitchen will be overseen by Federico Zanasi, who has been tapped to lead the team of the new restaurant. Born in 1975, wilful and determined, Zanasi has been chef at the restaurant of the Hotel Principe delle Nevi in Cervinia since 2012. He worked with Moreno Cedroni for nine years and won the “Best Sous Chef of the Year” award in 2011. “The philosophy that underpins Lavazza’s new CONDIVIDERE restaurant is unique. Everything stems from a systematic study of Italian ingredients, the story of where they come from and an explanation of their history and evolution. This is the basis of the CONDIVIDERE gastronomic journey. An experience in true ‘food democracy’, in which we strive to create a pleasant environment marked by informal sharing that makes everyone feel at home,” comments Federico Zanasi.

CONDIVIDERE by Lavazza – a temple of shared taste and coffee experiences – is being designed by Dante Ferretti, a three-time Academy Award-winning art director, and also the creative arm and friend of Pasolini, Fellini and Scorsese. Ferretti’s way of interpreting this dreamlike space, showcasing time as the true value of the 21st century, is lavish but also urban and colorful – perfectly reflecting Zanasi’s culinary philosophy. “Inventing dreams is my job. I feel perfectly Felliniesque in the sense that I like everything that materializes visions and dreams. Not seeking perfection, but reinventing reality. That’s why conceiving this new space with Lavazza takes me to the world of dreams I was talking about,” says Dante Ferretti. “I love grandiosity in my work, and simplicity in my private life. CONDIVIDERE represents me in this sense because it connects the majesty of the place with the pleasure of being together, of eating together. Enjoying haute cuisine with friends, in a place that is welcoming and dreamlike at the same time”.

The roots of CONDIVIDERE by Lavazza begin with the history of Italian cuisine, which Zanasi analyzed for months under the careful guidance of Adrià, following the Sapiens method at the elBulli Foundation, and also studying academic texts at the University of Culinary Science in Pollenzo, Italy. Zanasi then reinterpreted it in a knowing mix between tradition and innovation, lending value to ingredients that are always of the finest quality. This is haute cuisine within everyone’s reach and, while it hints to the informal dining approach typical of Spain, it also wants to rediscover the social side of the typically-Italian Sunday dinner.

“CONDIVIDERE strives to bring together the excellence of our Italian flavors, and our glorious culinary history, with the spontaneity and joy that strongly characterizes the most profound sense of what we mean by Italian hospitality,” adds Giuseppe Lavazza. “Without revealing anything just yet, there will also be room for a new coffee experience that is quite unique and evocative. In fact, for the first time, the tasting of desserts and the final ritual of coffee will be given the same attention and importance as the first part of the meal, taking place in a specially equipped separate and dedicated area for diners.

CONDIVIDERE will be a bold experiment at the service of taste, cheer, sharing, hospitality and culinary talent, while remaining accessible to all — in keeping with the finest Lavazza tradition.”

Zanasi concludes, “I showed Ferran all my determination and my desire to surprise him. What became immediately apparent to me is that Adrià wanted an all-around vision of the dish and a full awareness of what is being presented. He wants everything to have an origin and everything to be considered and well-thought out. Seeing how the youngsters working in his Foundation follow him is in itself already an experience: he is a guru who invents passion, analyzes it and places it at the service of others.”