Simone Salvini
Vegetable haute cuisine
Collaboration between Simone Salvini and Autogrill is based on our shared objective of offering quality and sophistication to customers who seek out healthy and balanced food.
Such was the beginning of Pokè Rainbow, a delicious mix of basmati and Venus rice, hummus with beetroot, hummus with peas, hummus with turmeric, avocado, soy edamame, pickled red cabbage, lettuce, mango, cherry tomatoes and black sesame.
Always in line with market trends to meet the needs of all our travellers, we have developed the WOW Burger, the 100% vegetable goodness sandwich made even tastier by sweet pea hummus created by Chef Salvini in collaboration with the staff at our Factory Food Designers. The hummus helps create a contrast of flavours with the special turmeric bread and the Sensational Burger Garden Gourmet.
The Chef
Florentine by birth (1969) and a vegetarian by choice, Simone studied Arts and Philosophy at the University of Florence, going on to obtain a Master’s degree in psychology with a specialization in history and Ayurveda at the Florida College and NY College University in Pisa. His experience in the kitchen started at an early age working for artisanal pasta and cake makers.
In 2000 he moved to Ireland to work for a number of vegetarian restaurants in Dublin and Galway, after which he landed in India: Punjab and New Delhi, to further explore the universe of Ayurvedic cuisine. Since 2005 he has worked as executive chef of Pietro Leemann’s Joia restaurant in Milan, where he elaborated vegetarian dishes endorsed by one Michelin star.
Since 2008 he has taught at some hotel management schools in Milan and has contributed on several occasions to training the in-house chefs of the Italian parliament in Rome. Since 2009 he has held the position of teaching chef at the Italian Vegetarian Association, and at the European Institute of Oncology directed by Umberto Veronesi. Since 2010 he has conducted natural vegetarian cooking courses for the Alma Cookery School.
Since 2011 he has been the executive chef of the Organic Academy, an academy of natural and vegetarian haute cuisine, by means of which, together with Enrico Buselli, he holds cooking courses and training activities for groups of hotel and restaurant staff and professional chefs. He elaborates ideas, methods and solutions for vegetarian haute cuisine, exclusively personalized for each business activity.