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Edition 3 Milk Teeth caf in London.

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Food & Drink
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E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P / I T A LY PRODUCER / UK Comment

Home cooking Bovine

For Alberto Fantinato, the idyllic town
of Bassano del Grappa is the key to his
food philosophy and the reason why
he left big business to rekindle his
passion in a place he calls home.
writer Laura Rysman photographer Luca Meneghel
Near the foothills of the Venetian pre-Alps is Bassano del
Grappa, a small town of medieval towers and arcaded
palazzos on the banks of the Brenta River. It may seem
an unusual place for an entrepreneur to open a forward-
looking new food venture but the Veneto region is the
only place in the world that will do for Alberto Fantinato.
The 30-year-old is a sentimentalist at heart. Im
hurting when Im far from here, he says. Im from a
family of farmers and the roots you put down when you
grow up in this countryside are too deep to tear out.
Passion for his hometown and its produce inspired
Fantinato to open traditional delicatessen El Bocon del
Prete with partner Andrea Dalla Rosa. While El Bocon
sells local oils and jams, as well as stocking beer and
Veneto wine, it also now supplies produce to Fantinatos
Bossa Buffon next door, for the bistros delicious cold
cuts and generous sharing plates. Its what he describes
in the regional Veneto dialect as a bacaro: A place serving
a little food to help you appreciate a nice glass of wine.
Needless to say, there is also plenty of the regions peer-
less prosecco.
But Fantinatos career wasnt always that of an entre-
preneur: he started by overseeing the manufacture of
massive quantities of pasta for the global brand Barilla.
They make the most of their materials and everyone
needs to eat Im not criticising the system, he says.
But to see such little respect for raw ingredients upset
me. I come from a background where you pamper a seed-
ling until it becomes your asparagus, your corn or your
wheat thats the natural way.
He abandoned big business to follow his philosophy
of food, opening the delicatessen in 2013, which has just
begun supplying the budding bistro. Both ventures meant
negotiating a mountain of Italian bureaucracy. Everyone
knows that opening a business in Italy is stressful but my
generation has grown up expecting nothing from the state.
We just roll up our sleeves and make it happen ourselves.
Artful approach
Teteln, Mexico City
In the late 1940s, influential Mexican
architect Luis Barragn built one of his
most iconic residences: Casa Pedregal, in
Mexico City. Now local art collector Csar
Cervantes has transformed the buildings
former stable block into Teteln, a space
dedicated to Central American food, as
well as hosting events and artsy pop-ups.
High glass ceilings and glass-covered lava-
rock floors complement the soft-pink and
pale-cedar fixtures and furniture, and chef
Hugo Durns menu offers native produce
that is rich with frijoles (beans), corn and
intervention
Meet The Estate Dairy, a London firm Cash cow
Comment
thats helping struggling farmers and Theres a shake-up happening in
the global milk market. To defend
coffee-shop milk rise to the top. themselves from the threat of
substitutes (made variously with
writer Josh Fehnert photographer Francesca Jones
almond, soy, rice, flax or hemp),
farmers are entering a war of words
over what the term milk actually
means. Globally, milk alternatives
will be worth 14bn next year, having
more than doubled since 2010.
In the US, the Dairy Pride Act (a
farcical acronym for take a deep
breath the Defending Against
Imitations and Replacements of
Yogurt, milk and cheese to Promote
Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday) has
I work more now than I did in the factory but I work with bipartisan support. Its aim? To push
more peace of mind, adds Fantinato. He closes his eyes the word milk off the cartons of
as he goes on. Im seeing how the food is grown and seedy, nutty or grainy pretenders.
working directly with producers. Bassano del Grappa, it Its little surprise that dairy
interests in the US are irked: milk
seems, has benefits that outweigh the buzz of the city. I sales (of the cow kind) have slumped
breathe the air of home and of history here. If everyone consistently for the past six years. This
moved to Milan to work in a hotbed of activity, centrali- is due to a mix of health concerns
sation would kill the small-scale, it would kill true beauty. from consumers, rising incidences
Our Italian identity would die. I love my little village. Weve gone through a very rough time here, says Clockwise from top left: Finished product; Rebecca and of reported dairy intolerance, plus
Fantinato sighs. Here all of the love that I give comes Maurice Durbin, a broad man in a blue checked shirt Shaun Young with Andy Tucker and son Joe at Sleight Farm; ubiquitous faddy diets and the
back to me. and braces with an even broader Somerset accent. He Channel Islands cows are a docile, attention-loving bunch; increasing availability of plant-based
faces the window opposite his kitchen table at Bickfield milking room at Bickfield Farm alternatives. Many of which trade on
Fantinatos business lessons: Farm, his home in the heart of the Chew Valley in the the word milk.
west of England. I wondered about shutting down, even In Canada the law is already graphic
in its specificity: milk and anything
1. Appreciate the little things: After working in threatened it, but the only way to do that would have labelled as such shall be the normal
industrial production, I now realise that every second, been to get rid of the cows and I couldnt do that. lacteal secretion obtained from the
every person, every little grain should have a defined Its raining outside but, for the first time in years, the mammary gland of the cow. Nice.
role in the process of making food. outlook is sunny for this third-generation dairy farm. In The European Court of Justice
a large field outside are 260 toffee-coloured Guernsey commanded a rebrand of soya milk
2. Do what you love: You spend too many years of cows grazing happily before their afternoon milking. and tofu butter this year, arguing that
your life at work to spend them being sad about what Late last year Maurice and his son Philip received an these products contained neither milk
you do or dont do. unexpected email from youthful London-based couple nor butter and therefore probably
Shaun and Rebecca Young. The pair who had already shouldnt be sold as such.
Between decreasing demand in China,
3. Dont do it alone: A support network is fundamen- founded The Estate Dairy in 2016 offered to take half Russias trade embargo and the removal
tal when youre getting your own business going just Clockwise from top left: Bistro Bossa Buffon in Bassano del Grappa of the farms annual haul at 36p a litre rather than the of EU milk quotas, the dairy industry is
someone in the family giving you a sandwich and a (a restaurant, not a tongue-twister); owner Alberto Fantinato; customers standard 25p they were receiving. Last year was all churning out lower profits and dealing
pat on the back at the end of the day makes the pres- enjoying Bossas cold cuts and beer from Fantinatos delicatessen, about survival, says Maurice, adding that the company with a global surfeit. The market share
sure easier to cope with. El Bocon del Prete, next door now takes all of the farms milk. But Shaun offered us nabbed by non-dairy products has left a
a lifeline. sour taste but fixing it wont solve all the
Out in the field the rain is abating and Shaun a tall industrys woes. Josh Fehnert
and talkative fellow from Cheshire is trudging towards
the herd that supplies much of the milk he sells. Before
Finnish line setting up the company he was a barista in Australia and up to 40,000 litres a week to 300 customers, including Farmings not about the money; theres never going to
Ora, Helsinki London, and it was there that he realised that the masses a fair few restaurants. Most of the latter are in London be big bucks in it, says Andy, looking at his sandy-haired
of milk being used werent being scrutinised as closely as but there are also some in Bristol, plus eight custom- son Joe whos clambering into a black mud-spattered
Chef Sasu Laukkonens new restaurant the beans. With co-founder Rebecca whose father was ers in Oxfordshire and one in the couples hometown of Toyota Warrior 4x4. Its about the lifestyle and keep-
Ora is without doubt Helsinkis most a dairy farmer a plan was hatched to supply better milk Chester. The feedback so far has been positive and the ing it ticking over. His new herd of big-eyed bovines
anticipated summer opening. Laukkonens to high-end coffee shops. Those just-so branding and personal service have helped. We including the burly Hjork, an inveterate head-butter,
previous venture, the Michelin-starred Channel Island cows are usually less profitable than dont go out and sell to people, says Shaun. They tend and Husky, an affectionate black-eyed heifer will soon
Chef & Sommelier, was one of the citys first six
their larger Friesian or Holstein cousins and produce to come to us because they love the product and want account for some 9,000 litres a month of The Estate
most talked about restaurants but
about a third less milk. But these bovines also carry a months to work with us. He adds that a one-litre retail bottle Dairys supply.
Laukkonen closed it down this year to
highlight a different aspect of his work. crucial advantage: a higher butterfat content of just under were a real has just launched at department store Selfridges and The drastic revival of fortunes for these two
Ora is an ode to local Finnish ingredients: 5 per cent compared with 3.5 per cent in full-fat milk. experience. deli chain Sourced Market, with fresh chocolate milk once-struggling farms isnt something that the Shaun
berries, fish, seasonal vegetables. Whats the The higher fat content means its better for frothing, next to launch, and there is also talk of further products, and Rebecca take lightly. These relationships are real,
point of shipping fancy ingredients from explain Shaun and Rebecca, as well as being creamier Wed never such as cream, cultured butter and yoghurt. says Shaun, as we watch the cows canter out of the milk-
abroad? he says. Our forests and lakes than the average splash of skimmed that most coffee distributed A few kilometres up the road from the Durbins is ing room into the sun (which is, at last, showing from
are full of fresh delicacies. shops plump for. milk or Sleight Farm, another operation thats benefiting greatly behind a smudge of cumulus). People think Im young
Image: Juho Kuba

plump green avocados.
To start, the taco de aguacate tatemado
(grilled avocado taco), cotija cheese with
herbs, or the roast cauliflower with bacon
all come highly recommended. Follow up
any of those with the fish of the day served
with hierba santa and fried plantain, then
a delicious slice of mango cake if you have
room. Alexa Firmenich
Luis Barragns architectural gem features a rugged garden
of igneous rock formed from cooled lava
Ora is a Finnish word that translates
as thorn and Laukkonen says he intends
to be a thorn in the side of Finnish
restaurateurs who import too much
produce. Theres another interesting
design detail: all the seats at Ora face the
kitchen rather than other diners proof, if
it were needed, that a chef can sometimes
be a little self-centred. Petri Burtsov
The menu changes often but we enjoyed the land summer lamb
and a wonderful whitefish dish
The idea caught on quickly. High-end London cafs,
such as Story Coffee, Craving Coffee, The Fields Beneath,
and Lundenwic, all ordered. Those first six months were
a real experience, says Rebecca. Wed never distributed
milk or anything before, and there was a niche for an
on-farm dairy that delivered to London.
A mere year and a half on and The Estate Dairy
now has nine vans running three weekly deliveries of
from The Estate Dairys generous price-per-litre offer.
anything Fourth-generation farmer Andy Tucker and his son Joe
before have 60 Jersey cows that are capable, they say, of produc-
ing milk with 6 per cent butterfat. They quit the dairy
game for beef and sheep six years ago after the price of
organic milk plummeted as an oversupply meant unsus-
tainably low prices but Estates generous offer tempted
them back into the dairy game.
and some thought, Whats this? But the business also
helps this family survive and theyre most certainly not
getting ripped off.
Despite the role that many London cafs have played
in helping his milk prices stay afloat, Maurice isnt
exactly enamoured with the end product. I call it frothy
coffee, he says. I cant stand it. I need to cross the road
whenever I smell a coffee shop, he adds with a sly smile.

RECIPE 01 / LONG SUMMER LUNCH 3 garlic cloves, sliced RECIPE 02 / LONG SUMMER LUNCH Method
3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil 1. Dry toast the coriander and cumin seeds in a small
Summer recipe series: 300g heirloom tomatoes, sliced Spatchcock chicken with frying pan over medium heat; when you smell the
Sea bass with cucumber pickle Method pomegranate marinade aroma, take the pan off the heat and then roughly
crush the spices using a pestle and mortar.
1. Set the oven to 200c (180c with fan). Mix potato,
Try this hearty sea bass served fennel, garlic and olive oil, and season well with Add a sweet tang to your 2. Mix in all the remaining marinade ingredients
with a fresh cucumber twist. salt and pepper. Place the mixture on a 30cm chicken dish with this delicious except the sea salt.
roasting tray and roast for 20 to 25 minutes.
recipe & styling Aya Nishimura combination of pomegranate 3. Slash the poussin legs with a knife, pour the
photographer Yuki Sugiura 2. When the vegetables have roasted and the edges of and fragrant spices. marinade over the chicken and carefully massage
the potato are slightly caramelised, remove from it into their skin and flesh. Leave them in the
Ingredients (serves 4) recipe & styling Aya Nishimura
the tray and set aside. Place the sliced tomatoes on fridge for 2 to 3 hours or, ideally, overnight.
750g whole sea bass, scaled, cleaned and gutted (ask photographer Yuki Sugiura
the same tray with the sea bass, lemon and fennel,
the fishmonger to do this)
drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 4. Just before roasting, bring the poussins to room
1 lemon, thinly sliced
temperature.
fennel bulb, thinly sliced
3. Place the tray back in the oven and roast for 25 Ingredients (serves 4)
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
minutes, adding back the potato to heat through 4 poussins (about 500g each) 5. Set the oven to 220c (200c for fan oven), place
approximately 10 minutes before serving. the poussins on a baking tray, sprinkle with the sea
Cucumber relish
Marinade salt, and cover the tray with foil. Save the excess
1 large cucumber, sliced very thinly lengthwise
4. While you are roasting the fish, prepare the 1 tbsps coriander seeds marinade for basting.
with a vegetable peeler or mandolin
cucumber relish. Mix the cucumber ribbons with 1 tbsps cumin seeds
1 tsp sea salt
salt in a bowl and let stand for 20 minutes. 120g pomegranate molasses 6. Roast the birds for 10 minutes then bring the heat
230ml rice vinegar
120g fresh ginger, finely grated down to 200c (or 180c), and cook for 20 minutes
2 tbsps caster sugar
5. Mix the vinegar, sugar, peppercorn and bay leaf in 180g honey or until the juices run clear. Baste the birds every
10 black peppercorns
a small pan, and heat until just below boiling. Take 1 tsps sea salt 10 minutes. Serve the poussins with extra sticky
1 bay leaf
it off the heat, add the chilli flakes and set aside juices from the pan, and garnish with the dill and
tsp chilli flakes
until it cools down. Fresh dill and sliced red onion, for garnish sliced red onion.
1 tsp sumac
10g dill, finely chopped
6. Rinse the cucumber to get rid of excess moisture
then add to the vinegar mixture. Just before
For baked vegetables
serving, add the sumac and dill; mix well. Serve
1kg potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced plates by Goodfellows, water glasses from scp, table runner from Goodhood, wine glasses from scp, salt/pepper
the fish on the tray alongside the cucumber pickle.
fennel bulb, thinly sliced pots from The Peanut Vendor, vase from Skandium, cutlery from Kay Bojesen, wooden board from David Mellor

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