Often imitated, never duplicated.

Year after year, countless new faces from the US market travel to international trade shows. It’s invigorating to connect with partners in new and creative environments and equally encouraging to witness the growing interest in global connection firsthand.

While most descend upon HostMilano to walk the aisles of the most distinguished and refined foodservice trade show in the world, to see equipment advancements and make new acquaintances, I made this trek for two reasons – il culatello and Sambonet.

Ninety minutes outside the city of Milan, you will discover an awe-inspiring display of craftsmanship with deep connection to history and terroir. At Antica Corte Pallavicini, amongst the former ruins of a castle, Michelin celebrated Chef Massimo Spigaroli and his family are restoring a culinary sanctuary that his great-grandfather once farmed. After two decades of extensive restoration, the curing ‘Cellars of the Corte,’ which house the most prized and expensive charcuterie in the world, are now open to visitors. The onsite farm is producing all the cuisine served to visiting gourmands who have the privilege of staying at this Relais & Chateaux destination. On a chilly October, walk these grounds and find late-season squash blossoms alongside small beds of waxy pepper varietals destined for dinner service that same evening. It’s an unmatched experience – brought to us by colleagues who truly understand quality.

Which brings me to Sambonet, yet another one of Italy’s active displays of mastery in craftsmanship with a deep connection to history and terroir. The Sambonet factory is located just an hour west of Milan.

Just a few short years ago the tabletop world became inundated with vintage-inspired cutlery. Heralded by the farm-to-table movement, a worn-out appearance of flatware seemed to confirm to guests that a more authentic homestead dining experience was to come. Around the same time flatware manufacturers began producing “vintage” cutlery in volume, Sambonet introduced an aesthetic against the grain of a worldwide movement: Antico. While a vintage appearance is created by a proprietary stone tumbling process, Sambonet’s alternative treatment is achieved with a proprietary ceramic sand mixture. Finer in every sense of the word, Antico is your solution between silver-plating and stainless steel.

Since that time, most of the competitive market will now offer seemingly similar options to Antico and vintage, along with PVD gold, copper, and black alternatives. All physical vapor deposition by Sambonet is manufactured in Italy, so gradient shades of the standard gold, copper and black, are also available in rose gold, champagne and bronze.

What more could possibly be done? Could a seventh-generation family-owned company create yet another new finishing process, in a world where everyone is saying, ‘We have that, too.’? The answer, of course, is si!

Allow me to introduce Diamond by Sambonet. This hyper-granular textured finish would be presumably undesirable, but once grasped will quickly become a personal talisman. Available on traditional stainless flatware, and in white, red, and black, I can’t exactly tell you how it’s made, yet, but rest assured, it’s the future of flatware.

Now, I wait, with bated breath, for my Culatello di Zibello DOP to arrive home, to share the finest charcuterie in the world with friends and family. I have no doubts that should my Culatello make it stateside through customs, I will enjoy it with the finest cutlery – after all, doesn’t charcuterie wrapped in gold leaf deserved to be paired with Red Gold Diamond flatware? That’s an experience that could perhaps be imitated, but never duplicated.

See for yourself. My procurement team would love to send you a sample. Request more information by email to [email protected].

Originally published in Total Food Service Magazine, November 2019, Vol. 29, No. 7.