We’re letting you in on a secret: Cesarine, the oldest Italian community of home cooks, is growing and has now landed in the United Kingdom!
Wallington: the welcoming neighborhood of Sutton, just 20 minutes from the beating heart of London. Here, the hustle and bustle of the capital fades away among tidy houses and lush parks. It is in this peaceful haven that the Cesarini Giuseppina and Giovanni from Wallington, open their home for cooking experiences celebrating true Italian authenticity – far from the traffic of Oxford Street and the chaos of central London.
What more can we say? Let’s get to know them better! Giuseppina and Giovanni bring the traditional flavors of Southern Italy to the table for curious tourists, Londoners eager to learn the art of Italian cuisine, and anyone searching for real Italy across the Channel. The magic? Even far from Italy, anyone can now taste our tradition. Incredible how passion knows no limits and can travel so far!
Giuseppina and Giovanni, the Cesarini of Wallington in London: the flavors of home arrive in the United Kingdom
How did your passion for Italian cuisine begin?
Giovanni:
My passion for Italian cuisine was sparked at a young age, while studying at hospitality school. There, I refined a fire that was already burning inside me: mixing ingredients, transforming flavors, creating emotions on a plate.
Giuseppina:
My roots in Southern Italy are my secret ingredient. There, cooking isn’t an art, but a family ritual: skilled hands kneading dough, the aromas of basil and tomato filling the house, a tradition that runs through the blood.
How did you discover the Cesarine community?
Giuseppina:
I discovered the Cesarine community thanks to my mother, who is also a Cesarina and encouraged me to join. It immediately felt like a great idea: living in London offers a new and stimulating market and the opportunity to connect with Italians who pass down family recipes.
Giovanni:
I discovered the Cesarine community through my mother-in-law, an experienced Cesarina who first “recruited” my wife and then me as well. With the constant flow of international visitors in London, Cesarine is the ideal way to turn our passion for cooking into something we can share with those who want to explore it, one dish at a time.
What do you enjoy most about your experience with Cesarine?
Giovanni and Giuseppina:
We love being able to express ourselves in the kitchen and share Italian cuisine in London, meeting new people from different cultures, chatting in multiple languages, and exchanging recipes and experiences with our guests.
What is your favorite recipe?
Giovanni and Giuseppina:
Our recipe of the heart is gnocchi alla sorrentina: they taste like home, like familiar aromas, like the joy of working potatoes by hand and taking the time to make gnocchi the traditional way.
Another great love is tiramisù, one of the first desserts I prepared for my husband when we first met. Even today, bitter coffee, velvety mascarpone, and a dusting of cocoa bring back those first butterflies.
Live a unique Italian experience with Giovanni and Giuseppina
Giovanni and Giuseppina are exactly the kind of people who make you hungry just by talking to them: welcoming, kind, and always ready to share a dish and a few culinary secrets. If you’re in London, go visit them and enjoy an authentic Italian experience in the United Kingdom – it’s well worth it!
The Cesarine Community
Founded in Bologna in 2004, Cesarine is Italy’s oldest network of home cooks, with the platform cesarine.com connecting travelers and food enthusiasts with local members across all regions. It offers cooking classes, food and wine tours, and tastings, attracting tens of thousands of guests each year, mainly from the United States, followed by Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Northern Europe. Since 2019, it has been part of the Slow Food Diffused Community and promotes sustainable tourism, the preservation of Italian culinary heritage, and support for local communities. The board includes prominent figures from the business and education sectors, such as Niccolò Branca, Daniele Ferrero, and Davide Maggi, CEO of Home Food Srl, the benefit company managing the platform and the community.