Chef exchange at Crowne Plaza Limassol, voco® Milan-Fiere

The first phase in an exciting IHG hotel chef exchange took place successfully last month, when Chef Fabio Mangia from the voco® Milan-Fiere visited the Crowne Plaza Limassol, joining forces for some culinary magic.

During the visit, Crowne Plaza Limassol guests and members enjoyed a Milanese aperitivo experience and special menu prepared by Chef Mangia at the hotel’s La Brezza Italian restaurant.

The Limassol hotel also hosted a dinner for the Cyprus branch of Chaîne Des Rôtisseurs, attended by Italian Ambassador Federica Ferrari Bravo and French Ambassador Salina Grenet-Catalano. Led by Chef Mangia and Crowne Plaza’s Chef Zacharias Paourou, the culinary team served an exquisite six-course menu with wine pairing.

“The chef exchange was fantastic for everyone involved: it was great for our guests because they enjoyed an exclusive experience … and I am sure Chef Fabio tempted their appetite to travel to Italy next,” noted Crowne Plaza Limassol Assistant General Manager Rebecca Pierides. She added: “It was also a fabulous opportunity for our people to learn from each other and be inspired by different ways of working.”

“We are very much looking forward to part two of the exchange, when our rising star Alex Pittalis will be introducing guests at voco® Milan-Fiere to Cypriot cuisine.”

For his part, Alex Busato, Group Food & Beverage Manager at HNH Hospitality who operate the voco® Milan-Fiere, stated: “this exchange represents a great opportunity for both guests and the hotel teams, an occasion for guests to try different ingredients and flavour combinations, and for the hotel teams to meet new colleagues and learn as much as possible from each other in an inspiring and multicultural environment.

“We can’t wait to have our colleagues from Crowne Plaza Limassol at voco® Milan-Fiere,” he continued.

Also remarking on the success of the culinary initiative, Chef Mangia said “it was a wonderful experience and a great opportunity”, while Chef Paourou commented that, as part of his long career in hospitality, “I have always believed in giving young talent opportunities to grow”.