Francesco Mazzei brings Italian masterclass to London food charity

Renowned chef Francesco Mazzei spent a day sharing traditional Italian recipes and skills with apprentice chefs at London’s largest food redistribution charity.

Francesco visited The Felix Project’s Poplar depot and kitchen to teach a masterclass to the charity’s first ever cohort of chef apprentices. The scheme, a first for The Felix Project, aims to train four young people who were previously not in education, employment or training, to become commis chefs.

The team, who are a third of the way into their apprenticeship, spend half their day helping to prepare meals in Felix’s Kitchen and the other half learning new techniques, recipes and everything needed to work in a professional kitchen.

The chefs have also been catering at events and over the summer will be attending many more.

Francesco helped them to master their chopping skills, make fresh pasta and create traditional Italian meals such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbona and gricia.

TV chef Francesco has been supporting The Felix Project since it started in 2016 and now has another link because of His Majesty King Charles III. In November last year, King Charles opened the Coronation Food Project’s South London Hub in Deptford, which is being run by Felix.

In February this year Francesco collaborated with actor Stanley Tucci and created an Anglo-Italian menu for a black-tie dinner hosted by King Charles.

Francesco said: “It is fantastic to know King Charles is a supporter. It has also been good to come again and learn more about how the charity is growing and developing a whole new area of support to help young people find employment in the restaurant sector.”

He added: “I was lucky enough to train in some amazing kitchens and be taught by a number of well-respected chefs, so for me it is vital I now pass my skills on to the next generation of chefs and help these young people find employment. It would be amazing in the future to even see a Felix apprentice in my kitchen.

“They have been enthusiastic to learn, and it has been an honour to show them how to cook some of my favourite dishes. Despite owning restaurants all over the world, I still love cooking with Italian produce and it has been lovely to use these quality ingredients, celebrate what can be achieved and share my knowledge.”

Francesco shares his experiences

During the lesson, the trainees asked Francesco about his career, which has spanned across kitchens in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

He is set to launch a restaurant at the Corinthia hotel in London later this year.

San, one of the Felix apprentices, said: “It has been great to have Francesco Mazzei teaching me how to cook.

“I have seen him on TV and now I can cook one of his traditional Italian meals. Being an apprentice with The Felix Project is life changing, I feel fulfilled and inspired to do something good with my life in the catering industry.

“I cannot believe what I am getting to do, it makes me so happy I could cry happy tears. I have an incredible team who I learn with every day and we all experience something new together, I feel like we have become a family.

“Toto, our trainer, is so keen for us all to succeed and without him we would not be here.”

The event also included representatives from Italian produce specialists Alivini, who have donated 2.6 tonnes of food, the equivalent of 6,214 meals, to The Felix Project.

The Felix Project was started in 2016 and is London's largest food redistribution charity.

Last year they delivered enough food to make more than 38 million meals.