Sandhurst Fine Foods set to launch ‘Festival of Nonna’ via Special Group, Alfred and Poem
Behind every great Italian meal, and chef, is a great food- loving Nonna. To give these matriarchs the recognition they deserve, Sandhurst Fine Foods has teamed up with Sydney celebrity chefs and their Nonnas to host the two-week Festival of Nonna.
The project, developed by Special Group with support from Alfred on event production and Poem handling PR and influencer engagement, will see the rooftop restaurant pop-up at Redfern’s 107 Projects.
A foodie’s dream, the Festival of Nonna offers dinners celebrating Italian heritage and flavours and workshops teaching all the best customs from the boot-shaped country. More than 90 per cent of tickets had sold out within a week of going on sale.
Says Cade Heyde, managing partner at Special Group: “We hope that this initiative will help to establish Sandhurst Fine Foods as a business that is about more than just bottles of pesto and olives – this is a business that is immensely passionate about food, love and family.”
Says Mimmo Lubrano, CEO, Sandhurst Fine Foods: “We’re a company built on family and tradition so we understand how both of these things shape who we are and how we enjoy food. The Festival of Nonna gives us all a chance to appreciate the people who first inspired many of us and get closer to the tastes that make Sandhurst products so popular.”
Celebrity chef Andrew Cibej, renowned for his work at Sydney’s favourite restaurants Vini, Berta and 121BC, will cook side-by-side with Nonna Valerie Cibej creating a five-course meal with Italian prosecco for $50 per ticket.
Workshops will be held with chefs Luca Ciano (of 2 Michelin-starred Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia in Milan), Massimo Mele (previously of La Scala on Jersey) and Sara Oteri (Series 7, MasterChef Australia), plus their Nonnas, sharing authentic, time- tested Italian techniques passed down to them, with interactive, hands-on demonstrations.
Saucy gnocchi, tender veal, delicious antipasti and other delectables from their ancestral homeland will be served up on a traditional table for guests to enjoy. Coupled with heady, aromatic wines the five-course meal is sure to hit the spot with those who enjoy food ‘just like Nonna used to make’.
Tickets to the Festival of Nonna dinners are priced at $50 and guests will enjoy a five course meal, wine, prosecco and a bag of Italian goodies to take home. Tickets for workshops are $30.
For more information on the dinners, food workshops and to purchase tickets, please visit festivalofnonna.com.