Virginia Cattaneo: From a Childhood Nurtured by Family Traditions to Mastering the Art of Fine Dining, Culminating as Co-Chef at the Renowned Cavallino Restaurant
Biography
Virginia Cattaneo was born in 1993 in Cantù, in the province of Como. Growing up in a family with a cook mother and a grandmother, she developed a passion for cooking from a young age. Convinced of her future as a chef, she decided to attend a Hotel Management Institute and during the summer breaks, she undertook various internships in the kitchens of restaurants and hotel facilities across Italy. After graduating in 2012, she began her career with the intention of working in pastry but soon realized her desire to explore all aspects of the culinary world.
She entered the world of restaurant service and experienced a turning point in her career in 2014 as a fish and meat chef de partie at Ristorante Raimondi in Hotel Villa Flori, Como. There, she was introduced to the world of fine dining for the first time and learned discipline, rigor, and teamwork from the chef de cuisine.
Among her subsequent experiences, her time at Al Pont De Ferr, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Milan, and at La Colline du Colombier in Iguerande, France, both as a chef de partie for appetizers and desserts, were particularly influential. Her experience in France continued with a stint at Maison Troisgros, a three-Michelin-star restaurant, as a commis for fish courses.
Thanks to her organizational skills, team-leading abilities, and service management, after two years as a sous chef at Edit Restaurant in Turin, Virginia joined the kitchen brigade at Cavallino in Maranello in 2021 as a sous chef and then became co-chef with Riccardo Forapani in 2023.
