Isabella Potì: chef, ambassador for various brands, and president of Bros Rugby Club. Her passion and dedication in the kitchen have earned her accolades in the Italian gastronomic scene, such as the Terra Moretti 2019 Women's Factor Award and the MICHELIN Star for the restaurant "Bros" in Lecce, which she runs together with her partner Floriano. Her desire to explore new horizons has also brought her international success, making her a collaborator with various brands such as Algida, Peroni, and Carte d’Or, remaining in the food sector, as well as Nike, Amazon, and Maserati, among others.
Isabella Potì, born in Rome on December 26, 1995, to a Polish mother and a father from Lecce, demonstrated a great passion and aptitude for cooking from a young age. After attending the catering institute in Lecce, she started working in London with the master Claude Bosi.
Her thirst for knowledge led her to Spain, where she studied with masters like Paco Torreblanca and Berasategui, then to Denmark, in the kitchen of "Geranium," and to Menton, at the starred restaurant "Mirazur."
In December 2015, she returned to Italy and joined the brigade of the restaurant "Bros" in Lecce. In the essence of Salento cuisine revisited with a conceptual touch, Isabella showcased her talent as a sous-chef. It was here that she met Floriano Pellegrino, a chef, and the sparks flew. The two not only shared their careers and passion for cooking but also had a son, with another little one on the way.
Isabella's talent and dedication did not go unnoticed. In 2016, she received the prestigious Witaly Emerging Southern Chef Award, and the following year, she became part of Forbes' prestigious "30 Under 30" list in the Art category. The wave of success continued as the chef was invited as a guest judge on Masterchef and later joined the cast of "Gustibus" on the Italian Tv channel LA7. In November 2018, she was appointed as a judge on the program "Il ristorante degli Chef" on Rai2, alongside chefs Andrea Berton and Philippe Lèveillè. The same year, "Bros" received a MICHELIN Star.
In 2018, Isabella and Floriano created the holding company Pellegrino Brothers, which owns the rights to the "Bros" brand, promotes the talents of the chef couple, and owns the renowned trattoria "Roots" in Scorrano. Pellegrino Brothers also manages the Bros Rugby Club, of which Isabella is the president, making her the youngest woman in Italy to hold this title for a rugby team. Additionally, the chef has been a correspondent for the television show "Quelli che il calcio" on several occasions.
Isabella continues to receive awards and recognition for her contribution to Italian cuisine. In 2019, she was honored with the Terra Moretti Women's Factor Award and was featured in prestigious magazines such as Vogue Spain, L’Officiel, Smoda El País, Marie Claire, and Vanity Fair.
On the sixtieth anniversary of Cornetto Algida, Isabella becomes a spokesperson and creates a gourmet limited-edition Starred version of the ice cream. The following year, Carte D'Or relies on her image and creativity for the creation of three tubed ice cream recipes.
Outside the food sector, in recent years, Isabella has collaborated with international brands such as Maserati, Golden Point, Atelier Emè, Lozza, Amazon, Oysho, and Peroni, also becoming an ambassador for Nike.
In 2020, Isabella published her first book titled "Milennial Cooking," and in January 2021, she launched her dark pastry kitchen called "Sista," receiving recognition for her innovative creations.
