Pirelli: flat out in the kitchen as well as on the race track
Wherever you are and whatever you're doing, if you hear the name ‘Pirelli', you think of driving, of roads. Of performance, technology, safety and the sheer pleasure of having a steering wheel – or the handlebars of a motorbike – in your hands. For nearly a century and a half, this is what people have known and recognised about the brand. The freedom of the open road.
But for a few years now, Pirelli has been associated with another pleasure as well. That's the pleasure of the kitchen. More specifically, high quality cuisine. Just as you would expect from Pirelli, this also comes to you at full speed. For 110 years, Pirelli has been active in motorsport on both two and four wheels, with plenty of success and a current grand total of more than 340 championships contested all over the world. Since 2011, the pinnacle of these activities has been Formula 1®, to which Pirelli is exclusive supplier thanks to an agreement currently running to the end of 2019. And it's precisely in this specialised environment that the Italian firm has established new standards when it comes to cuisine as well.
The five-star dishes served in Pirelli's hospitality are renowned throughout the F1® paddock, with the company hosting hundreds of guests during every race weekend. From drivers to team members, journalists and celebrities, everyone appreciates Pirelli's culinary specialities: cooked to order every day, with Italian influences but a distinctly international flavour as well. The food perfectly reflects the nature of grand prix racing itself, which visits around 20 different countries every year.
Since the start of this year, Pirelli's chef at every grand prix is Spyros Theodoris, the winner of the inaugural Masterchef Italia competition in 2011. His origins are Greek, but these days he couldn't be more Italian. At every race weekend, he prepares haute cuisine at the highest level in record time, but without compromising on quality or variety. And on Monday 3 April he is going to show everyone how he does it, cooking a dish inspired by next weekend's Chinese Grand Prix at the Molteni&C |Dada showroom in Milan, using the Dada Hi-Line 6 kitchen designed by Ferruccio Laviani. This risotto with an oriental twist is a recipe he has specifically created for the very special cooking show that will welcome guests from all over the world, visiting Milan for the city's famous furniture and design show.
The oriental risotto will also feature in Pirelli's next publication. Five years ago, the ‘Miles and Meals' book published by Pirelli shared some of the most popular recipes from every grand prix, together with lavish photographs and illustrations. The book was a huge success, and is still in demand today. But it won't be long before ‘Miles and Meals' enjoys a second youth, but this time in video format for the internet. Watch this space; more details to follow…