The global pandemic arrived like an uninvited whirlwind, causing devastation and mayhem on a scale not even the most pessimistic of people could have predicted. “It’s been devastating” says Francesca Bianco, speaking to me over Skype from her home in Italy. “This is something our business could never have imagined”.
Francesca and her husband Domenico own Puglia Kitchen1, a blossoming business that offers those holidaying in Italy an authentic Italian dining experience through cooking classes and private catering. Domenico is the chef at the heart of it all – born and raised in the rustic Puglian countryside, cooking with recipes passed down through generations of Biancos, and using fresh ingredients from the family’s farm.
With the travel industry on pause, the business has seen its customer base all but disappear. “We’ve been affected massively because our market is 95% tourists from outside Puglia and Italy, so the fact that there’s no non-essential travel allowed has had a huge impact.”