Given the dynamic growth across the wider casual dining channel in recent years, and the explosion of fusion cuisines, authentic Italian had somewhat lost its excitement. We asked ourselves where and how we could engage chefs to use Italy’s favourite Galbani brand to bring authenticity and reinvigorate menus.

By using Galbani across a variety of consumer-appealing dishes, not only could operators create an enticing Italian offer but also achieve authenticity and profit potential in their businesses, with operational ease.

The Hub recommended that we partner with a renowned ‘master’ of Italian cuisine to demonstrate and educate chefs on the benefits of introducing Galbani to the menu - as the leading authentic brand.

Chefs love recipes so it was important to inspire the target audience across the relevant channels where Galbani offered the right price point to applicable menus and delivered on consumer expectations.

To engage more personally with key targets, it was important that we created an event to allow these chefs in particular, the opportunity to experience precisely what Galbani could bring to their Italian menu concepts.

Leveraging our relationship with the eminent Italian chef Giancarlo Caldesi, the award-winning restaurateur and cookery school owner, we established a brand partnership. Giancarlo is an advocate of Galbani, a brand close to his heart since his early years growing up in Italy.

Working in close collaboration with Galbani’s culinary team and Giancarlo, a series of masterclasses were created to demonstrate some incredible Italian dish creations, whilst communicating the role that the Galbani portfolio brought in adding simplicity and validity.

We targeted relevant chefs, menu developers, operators and wholesalers via a mixed-format promotional programme across print and digital advertising, as well as a captivating Instagram campaign to drive traffic to a competition landing page.

The competition created valuable data capture but moreover, engagement with customers and prospects alike, eager to win an exclusive place at an in-person masterclass hosted by Giancarlo Caldesi and the Galbani commercial team at the renowned Caldesi cookery school.