The creations of great chefs
Vetulio Bondi
GOLD? IT TURNS DESIRE INTO AMAZEMENT
Bondi discovered edible gold(*) after meeting the Manetti family and never stopped using it. Because for the most famous gelato maestro in Italy, decorating his gelato with gold powder, flakes and leaf is not only a question of style, but it is also and above all a political declaration because in so doing he reminds himself, his employees and his customers how much dignity there is in the work of those who choose to do things in the best possible way every day.
From New York to the centre of Florence
He would have liked to stay in New York, in Soho where as a teenager he would walk the same streets as Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, but at the age of 18 he was already back in Florence, summoned back to his home by his parents, who had opened the first “pizzeria al taglio” in Florence a few years earlier and now were counting on him to expand the business to the world of gelato.
That forced move and that idea that was not even his, in fact, became his life project in an instant. Vetulio Bondi has become not only the most famous gelato maker in Italy, but also the most passionate lover of artisan gelato, of which he is now an ambassador all over the world with lectures, talk-shows on YouTube and successful books.
Gelato from the heart
His gelati are made from the heart and with a respect for Florentine tradition. He uses the best of contemporary technology and has an obsession for the quality of his raw materials that he personally selects one by one.
But what makes Vetulio Bondi truly unique is his contagious enthusiasm, as he loves to inspire wonder in the eyes of others. With gold he makes cones and sumptuously decorates his gelato(*) with a craftsmanship that has a strong visual impact. In his creations we see the very origins of gelato, invented in his Florence by the Medici’s architect and scenographer Bernardo Buontalenti.
Centuries have passed since then, but with the precious sparkle of Bondi’s “sweet sculptures” we can relive the Renaissance’s ability to spark our amazement, as Vetulio Bondi conquers people’s hearts at every latitude.
Photo Credit: © Gianni Ugolini
