The Hospitality Manifesto is born

Announced at the Castle of Costigliole d'Asti during the opening of the ICIF Academic Year, this document shifts the focus from the few who win awards to the many who keep the restaurant sector alive every day.

A proclamation dedicated to those who build hospitality every single day: this is the heart of the Manifesto announced on Tuesday, September 8. The document was signed by Piero Sassone, President of ICIF (International Culinary Institute of Italy), and Mariano Rabino, President of the Langhe Monferrato Roero Tourism Board. The text was read at the event by Evelina Christillin, President of the Egyptian Museum in Turin and godmother of the ceremony. 

On the same afternoon, ICIF officially opened its Academic Year. This was not a coincidence, but a statement that hospitality is a true profession. Students from ten countries attended the ceremony:Taiwan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Malaysia, South Korea, Brazil, Finland, the United Kingdom, France and the United States. Among the commitments made in the Manifesto, the signers have only one main duty: to keep the spotlight on the entire restaurant and hospitality sector. The text is included in the book "The Value of Hospitality — The Voice of the Invisibles." The book will remain at the Castle of Costigliole d'Asti to collect signatures from anyone who wishes to support the cause.

From the speech of ICIF President Piero Sassone - “Nine out of ten people in this profession will never appear in a guidebook or receive an award. The boy unloading crates at 6 in the morning. The woman ironing the tablecloths. The person washing dishes while we are here. They are invisible. The problem is not who gets awarded; the problem is that the spotlight shines only on a few, leaving everyone else in the dark. That is why today we are not adding another award. We are proclaiming a Manifesto." Sassone also looked back at the roots of local hospitality, mentioning the Alciati family, who in 1961 opened the first two-star Michelin restaurant in Piedmont right here in Costigliole d'Asti. He then thanked the national and international representatives in attendance, including the Taipei Representative Office in Italy and the Consulate General of the Republic of the Philippines in Milan.

The event - The ceremony was hosted by Camilla Nata, a journalist and TV presenter for the Italian public broadcasting company RAI. It opened with a welcome speech from Enrico Alessandro Cavallero, the Mayor of Costigliole d'Asti. The event continued with speeches by Piero Sassone, Mariano Rabino, Livio Negro (President of the Cassa di Risparmio di Asti Foundation), Evelina Christillin, and Paolo Bongioanni, Regional Councilor of Piedmont. Afterward, the chefs and restaurant owners in attendance were invited to sign the Manifesto’s Book. The day concluded with a social gathering where guests met with ICIF international students.

The text of the Manifesto - The Manifesto comes from a simple fact: guides, rankings and stars highlight excellence, but they shine a light on only a few and leave everyone else in the dark. This document does not add another award to those that already exist. Instead, it states that hospitality is a true craft, that a craft must be passed down and that those who practice it without appearing in any ranking deserve to be recognized. Among its main points, the text pays tribute to Carlin Petrini, who passed away on May 21, for his teachings on the cultural value of food and traditional farming knowledge.