Francesco Mazzei to work with Hamptons at RHS, Chelsea Flower Show

Leading estate agent, Hamptons has announced that it will be working with acclaimed Italian chef, Francesco Mazzei at this year’s RHS, Chelsea Flower Show which opens its doors on Monday 22nd May to the press and the public thereafter up until Saturday 27th May. Francesco Mazzei, has long been considered one of London’s best Italian chefs and will be cooking his favourite family recipe in the working outdoor kitchen which forms part of Hamptons Mediterranean Garden - Hamptons Sanctuary Garden entry for 2023. Hamptons Mediterranean Garden, designed by Filippo Dester from Garden Club London is inspired by the architecture and sculptural planting of the Mediterranean landscape of Filippo’s homeland. Mediterranean in theme, but designed for the UK, the garden pulls on the many aspects of Mediterranean culture and lifestyle that we all know and love. At the heart of the garden is an outdoor working kitchen enclosed by a walled pergola and a generous table where friends and family gather to share food and each other’s company – a fundamental element of the Mediterranean lifestyle. Drawing on the story of connection of the Mediterranean garden, Francesco Mazzei will be cooking a family favourite recipe in the kitchen and telling the story behind it. He will use fresh herbs picked straight from the garden and n’duja, an ingredient from his region of Calabria that Francesco himself helped introduce to the UK. Francesco is a regular on the TV circuit, appearing as a regular guest chef on ITV’s James Martin Saturday Morning, a guest judge on MasterChef as well as food shows on Sky. Asked how he would describe his cooking, Francesco said: “To this day, what really gets my heart beating, is the food I grew up with, from my home region of Calabria and southern Italy. I describe my cooking as Mamma’s cooking with a chef’s hands.” To share this moment, Francesco will be hosting cook-along, inviting guests to enjoy a sample of the recipe. Content to be shared on Hamptons social channels: Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Francesco Mazzei continues: For me, cooking outside some of my favourite family recipes, in such a beautiful Mediterranean surroundings that reminds me of home is the best feeling. Filippo Dester, Designer of Hamptons Mediterranean Garden from Garden Club London says: “It’s wonderful to have a chef of Francesco’s calibre cooking in the garden. Francesco will highlight perfectly how a garden like the Hamptons Mediterranean Garden can bring people together and will showcase the strong links between cooking, entertaining, nature, and the home.” Lesley Cairns, Managing Director at Hamptons says: “Working with Francesco and sponsoring a garden at RHS, Chelsea for the second year running, is a real pinch-me moment. What a privilege it is to work with and stand alongside two experts in their field: Filippo from Garden Club London in the design and execution of this truly exceptional space and then to watch Francesco prepare, cook and share a special family recipe with us in the most beautiful and exquisite of settings. It will be a special moment in a week of celebration for our business and our people.”

You can find Francesco’s recipe here, and follow updates here: