Katie Caldesi

Giancarlo, restaurateur met Katie, artist in 1997. He loved her painting, she loved his pasta. They now have two restaurants, a cookery school and two sons. How it all started Caffe Caldesi opened in 2002 as an informal bar and restaurant showcasing Italy's regional cooking and great wines. Based on Giancarlo's mother's cooking Italian Mama's Kitchen was published in 2004. In 2005 Katie and Giancarlo opened La Cucina Caldesi Ltd, a cookery school where the couple and guest chefs could share the secrets of their trade. Within 6 weeks, in the summer of 2005, the couple got married, opened their Tuscan cookery school (2005 - 2009), opened the London cookery school and wrote their second cookbook. A documentary maker, Adam Alexander, thought it so mad he made a television series entitled "Return to Tuscany" which was aired on BBC2 in autumn 2006 which accompanied the book of the same name. After the series Katie and Giancarlo have become regulars on Market Kitchen, BBC Masterchef, BBC Breakfast and more recently Saturday Kitchen. Caldesi in Campagna opened in Bray, Berkshire in 2008. Giancarlo is behind the stoves on a regular basis where the emphasis is on seasonal Italian food using local produce. Katie published the Italian Cookery Course in 2009 which has since been shortlisted for the Andre Simon Awards and the Guild of Food Writers Cookery Book of the Year award. In June 2010 Giancarlo was presented with the Cavaliere del Lavoro in by the Italian government for his lifetime work representing Italy abroad.