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Food and drink

The people behind our remarkable produce

August 16, 2022

At Hotel Eden, executive chef Fabio Ciervo loves nothing more than getting creative with his Mediterranean cooking. He knows that working with the finest possible ingredients is one of the secrets of his success.

Meet the producers

‘As a chef, I’m passionate about locally sourced produce and making the most of seasonal ingredients when they are at their best. I’m also keen to keep down food miles where possible and I’m always aware of the sustainability behind the ingredients I cook with. Over the years, I’ve built up a great rapport with my carefully selected producers. Here are just a handful of my favourites’.

Executive Chef Fabio Ciervo in the kitchen with view of Rome Hotel Eden

Fresh colorful peppers for Hotel Eden culinary team

Image © Azienda Agricola Maresca

Maresca

I source most of La Terrazza’s fruit and vegetables from a family-run farm, located in Agro Pontino, called Maresca. It’s in a beautiful spot close to the sea, in the south of Lazio. The family has over 50 years of experience in traditional farming methods and they show great respect for nature. Vegetables, salad and exceptional oranges, tangerines and lemons all benefit from being growing in mineral rich soil, which adds both flavour and nutrients. I love offering this authenic farm-to-fork experience, where produce is picked to order to ensure its freshness. They even grow some salad varieties exclusively for Hotel Eden.

Schianchi

When I was looking for the perfect kind of pepper for my cacio e pepe recipe, I met Alessandro Schianchi. It’s the incredible Madagascan wild black pepper he sources that we now use in this signature dish. He told me about his mission to bring premium spices and little known varieties of pepper to Italy and I just knew we had to work together. We’ve also collaborated with Alessandro to make our hotel jams using as little sugar as possible. I’m really proud that all our jams are handmade using only Italian-grown fruit.

La Perla del Mediterraneo

I’m a great believer that good buffalo mozzarella needs to be firm to the touch and taste of fresh milk. By sourcing my mozzarella from La Perla del Mediterraneo, I know the quality is guaranteed. The farm has been breeding buffalo since the 1950s from Paestum in Southern Italy, where the conditions are ideal for buffalo. All the cheese is still handmade in the traditional way and they deliver daily so we can serve it at its best. The cheese is outstanding and a real delight to use in my dishes.

Colli Etruschi

In 1965, 18 local olive growers in Northern Lazio, near Viterbo, joined forces to create Cooperativa Agricola Colli Etruschi. Today, 330 small farms form the award-winning cooperative, producing a small selection of organic olive oils. Their olives are carefully handpicked and transformed into oil on the same day. It was the distinctive scent and flavour of their EVO oil that convinced me it was right for La Terrazza. The cooperative also supports its members in the improvement of olive oil production.

Olive tree in Rome where Hotel Eden sources food

Image © Cooperativa Agricola Colli Etruschi

De Sanctis

Organic winery De Sanctis is located in Castelli Romani, also known as ‘Lazio wine country’. This family-run vineyard is devoted to organic winemaking without the use of chemicals. They specialise in growing local vines including Malvasia del Lazio, which is a great way to preserve the local environment and limit their ecological impact. Their wines are exceptionally good and have inspired some wonderful wine pairings.

To experience these incredible ingredients and to see how they inspire my menus, come and dine with us at La Terrazza.