Our greatest asset, our team

2022-08-31

Let’s go meet Flavio to interview him in his “home away from home”: the kitchen of Virens.

He is roasting eggplants for one of the new dishes on the menu and as usual he welcomes us with his infectious laugh: “my job is my joy, my energy”. Flavio is that kind of professional whose dedication and talent make a difference, “working in a kitchen is hard but sharing emotions through the dishes we elaborate, I think it’s priceless”. He confesses that he is in love with his job and adds that it is one of the best things that ever happened to him; the stars in his eyes and the passion in his voice don’t contradict him. “And why Virens?” we genuinely ask. He explains – with the same emotion and determination as always – that he saw the project coming to life and that he feels he has grown up alongside it. Taking care of the vegetables and making the most of them is a daily challenge but having Rodrigo de la Calle as a mentor is a real opportunity. Our Michelin-starred Chef and Flavio speak the same language: the one of a responsible and creative gastronomy, that highlights vegetables and natural products. They work together to make Virens the culinary meeting point and it only takes a look at the restaurant room and see all the gourmets enjoying their tasting menu, to understand that our chefs are on the right track.

We thank Flavio for his time and let him work, as the dinner service is about to start. As we leave the kitchen, we run into some of his team members who admit “In addition to being an excellent chef, Flavio is a hard-working and passionate person. He has a great team spirit that always cheers us up to give the best of ourselves, as he always does”.

If you come to Virens, you may see him proudly wearing his embroidered Virens-green-leaf-logo uniform, walking through the restaurant room to collect clients’ opinion. On his face you may notice a wise combination of concern for perfectionism, and the joy of sharing his passion for gastronomy.