WHAT I DO

Food is Health, Food is a Gift.

About Puglia Kitchen

Puglia Kitchen is your authentic dining and cooking experience for a real taste of Puglia; a celebration of tradition, culture, flavours from our beloved region. Today, Puglia Kitchen is your genuine farm to table experience and we are so proud and excited to share our knowledge (and food!) with you.

Puglia Kitchen is an ideal opportunity for those who want to create or taste delicious dishes with an experienced Pugliese chef. Professional Chef Domenico Bianco was born and raised on his family farm in the region and has inherited a lifelong passion for natural, fresh food & local fare and its importance to live your happiest life to the fullest.

An ideal solution for those on holiday, relax while your in-house personal chef prepares you something delicious for a private dinner, special event or even for the entire duration of your stay. Imagine learning the tradition of Italian cooking with an authentic hands-on cooking class to prepare something delicious from scratch, that you will be able to recreate again and again for a lifetime.

The result? Not only to taste Puglia but to experience and share our culture through our food.

About our Farm

Our farm has been in the family for generations; nurturing the land, passing farming expertise, recipes and a love of food through each successive family. Large family gatherings are still an important tradition for us and food is what brings us together. The preparation of food together as a family is as important as eating for us, an opportunity to catch up, laugh and create our traditional dishes altogether.

It is the farm, passed down from Nonna’s side of the family, that is the birthplace of our passion for the land and food tradition. Chef Domenico was raised on the farm and his parents still run and work on the land. He still consults the family, especially Nonna, regarding their secret traditional family recipes, passed down for many years, with quantities are often described as “quanto basta” – just enough!

Puglia has been an agricultural region for centuries and the traditions of the area remain in the countryside, villages, the Mediterranean diet and way of life. On the farm we cultivate and produce our own olive oil from the wonderful, ancient olive groves planted in the rich red earth, milk and cheeses from our large dairy herd; fresh mozzarella, burrata, scamorza, cacio ricotta and canestrato are just a few of the types of cheeses produced and used in our recipes. Our daily fresh eggs, our vegetables and our trees filled with almonds, cherries, figs and other seasonal fruits are the secret to many of Domenico’s recipes, making the freshest of offerings.

About Chef Domenico

«Growing up on my parents farm in the province of Bari, my love and appreciation for homegrown and handmade Italian produce has very deep roots. My Nonna ruled the roost and I even spent most of my time as a newborn in a basket in the olive groves while my parents harvested their olives, fruits and almonds – maybe that’s where all this started?! With over 80 cows and 100 hectares of land, we don’t just like the “farm to table movement” – we are it! That is all we have ever known!

I strive to give my guests a real taste of Puglia using the best possible ingredients, many of which are from my own family farm, together with the produce of local farms that my family manage. It’s very important to us that we source our products from the best farms, with quality cultivation and a deep respect for our land.

I love to take the best from tradition and mix in new and exciting ingredients and styles for your best possible experience. You can’t beat a perfectly cooked parmigiana, la pasta “orrecchiette” with our homegrown broccoli or a moreish panzerotto. I love to prepare something special for whoever sits around my table. To make the flavours really flourish I incorporate creative ingredients to create a marriage of tradition and originality. I incorporate ingredients from the country and the sea, a dance between the two to bring you the best that Puglia has to offer.

Ever since I chose to turn my dream into a profession at the Accademia Italiana Chef school in Rome, I have dedicated myself to creating the perfect harmony between traditional recipes with a modern twist. I’ve spent my professional time as a chef working in Michelin starred restaurants. The result is a mix of tradition and creativity – think Nonna meets Masterchef! I like to think that this allows me to offer my guests with a much more varied selection of offerings, from the more traditional to the more complexed. The important thing is that it is always delicious!

I’m very passionate about low food miles… however in Puglia I have never needed to stray so far from what we have!

I trained as a professional chef whilst continuing my work in the fitness industry as a personal trainer and coach all across Italy. I now combine my love of food with the benefits of dishes to nourish the body, mind and soul. At my table, my menu is ever-changing, due to seasonal produce and new ideas. Don’t worry – you won’t be getting a green salad – quite the contrary! Balance is key in this life and life and food are definitely to be enjoyed!

To cook for others is a sharing of joy, an act of love in this region. For me, It’s a total honour and a privilege to prepare these dishes for all – old friends and new!

When I’m not cooking for others, I’m showing others how it’s done! I offer cooking classes with simple, fun, step by step methods, allowing you to take a piece of Puglia with you, wherever your next destination may be! I’m always very happy to share recommendations and recipes with my guests.

Ci vediamo a cena… See you at dinner!»

Puglia Kitchen is…

Domenico – Head Chef & CoFounder

The man to cater to all your foodie needs. A farmers son & professional Chef, food is life and nothing makes him happier than spoiling his guests & diners. Southern Italian farm roots & Michelin star experience – the result is a taste experience not to be missed. He’s your chef, your teacher, your friend!

Francesca – Manager & CoFounder

Half Italian & half British with a 10 year international career in hospitality, event planning and management, your go-to to ensure your dinner, class or event will be perfect in every way.

Masseria Bianco – Our roots

The family farm where Domenico was raised and still active to this day. We use our own ingredients, vegetables, cheeses, oil, fruit & jams. To put it simply, if we make it, you’ll be trying it!

Nonna – Our heart

Simply because we wouldn’t be here without her and owe her for all that we know, the passion for our land, our values & learning how to cook like there’s no tomorrow!