The GVCI, Virtual Group of Italian Chefs is currently a network of over 900 Italian professionals in cuisine, mainly chefs, working in 70 countries in the world. It also includes restaurateurs, restaurant managers, sommeliers, food & beverage managers, other hospitality managers, importers, distributors, retailers and media people. Through a moderated internet Forum in Italian (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GVCI2001/)LINK, the members of the Group share ideas, knowledge and camaraderie.

GVCI was founded in 2001 by Mario Caramella and Rosario Scarpato. Caramella – at the end of the ‘80s one the first chefs to introduce fine Italian cuisine to Asia and currently executive chef in Bali (Indonesia) – is the president of GVCI. Melbourne-based Scarpato is a TV producer and journalist, GVCI honorary president, and managing editor of the site.

GVCI membership is free but subject to approval and/or peer presentations. The group’s history is based mainly on the almost 35.000 posts into the Forum; however, GVCI has a number of “non-virtual” achievements as well, including:

- 2 general meetings in Italy (Parma 2004 and Turin 2006),
- the “Antonio Amato Award”, in memory of a GVCI member killed by terrorists in Saudi Arabia,
- charity appeals for the Tsunami and Myanmar flood victims,
- the successful organization of the annual International Day of Italian Cuisines and
- the participation of its delegations of chefs in many fairs, shows and conferences.

Since 2007 Itchefs & Co has contributed to the gradual conversion of GVCI into an online community of industry opinion leaders.

Itchefs & Co’s mission is to:

I) preserve and improve the standard of quality and authenticity of Italian gastronomy in the world;
II) improve the profitability and economic performances of the professionals involved in it;
III) create tangible and intangible social, economic, cultural and professional added value to each individual GVCI member and
IV) disseminate essential, up-to-date and correct information among the worldwide consumers of Italian cuisine, and to protect their rights to receive fair, value-for-money products and services.

Itchefs & Co web site and its periodic webzine is offered to:

a) Industry professionals working outside Italy (chefs, restaurateurs, restaurant managers, sommeliers, food & beverage managers, other hospitality managers, importers, distributors, retailers, media people, culinary students, etc. and their English-speaking final customers.

b) Industry professionals working in Italy (food and wine producers, Italian exporters, regulators, promotional organizations of food, wine and tourism, media people, and selected tourist operators, chefs and restaurateurs).

c) Gourmets, lovers of Italian Cuisine, non-professional cooks, cooking schools and their students.

Itchefs-GVCI.com

Managing Editor: ROSARIO SCARPATO

Contributors: MARIO CARAMELLA, ELENA RUOCCO, MARINA NOUGUÉS, PETER LARSEN