It's a McDonalds who speaks fluent Italian what we met at the presentation of My Selection 2020 in via Tortona in Milan.
"And it's not just Dante's Italian, because the three new sandwiches have various local accents "he jokes Mario Federico, CEO of McDonald’s Italia. The manager refers to the origins of the ingredients of this premium line, which boasts the presence of Dop and PGI from North to South Italy, such as Asiago Dop, Pecorino Toscano Dop, Tropea Calabria onion PGI and Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI.
In fact, the collaboration between the multinational, the producers and the Italian consortia is not new: it started a dozen years ago, thanks also to the participation of the Foundation Qualivita is Origin Italy, born in turn by the Italian Association of Geographical Indication Consortia. Since then McDonalds Italia has used it 2 and a half tons of branded products Dop is Ipg for about 40 different products. And not only that: Mario Federico himself led a path that gradually led McDonald's to turn to 84% Italian suppliers, buying 94 thousand tons of raw materials from them every year, for an investment of 200 million euros.
At the moment, the excellences of almost half Italy, including meat, pass through the restaurants of the chain. "But the goal – explains the manager – is to expand the list of suppliers more and more, in order to one day have all the Italian regions represented".
The idea is to bring the Made in Italy informally also abroad. And in fact in Europe the green, white and red flag already flies in some recipes of the chain.
"If Italian products can only be enjoyed in a starred restaurant, where a course costs at least 40 euros, they will never have an interesting distribution" he observes sharply Joe Bastianich. “So initiatives like this are welcome. Here the target is mainly young people and the prices are those of the McDonalds tradition. Accessible for everyone ". He is the godfather of the three My Selection sandwiches.
Just hear him speak for a few minutes to understand who better than him. Musician, excellent cook, of Italian blood, but by birth and decidedly American culture and idol that transversely likes mothers, kids and even his grandmother. In practice, in a single testimonial there is everything that McDonalds wants to make appreciated with its premium 2020 collection.
How much is loved by young people was also seen during the contest My Selection Chef. In this friendly competition that took place during the presentation of the new collection, the protagonists were the students of hotel establishments Italian. The boys challenged each other with both theoretical and practical knowledge of our PDO and PGI excellence, under the watchful eye of Joe Bastianich and Raffaele Bellini, the chef who studies and tests McDonalds Italia's sandwich recipes.
How is a sandwich born? “I like to choose good products and listen to what people like. I study combinations of flavors and textures, I try and try again, I taste, I compare myself with colleagues and I propose recipes that are replicable with the same quality also in our restaurants "explains Raffaele Bellini. And for a moment he makes us imagine his work “It is a great team game, a machine with complex gears, where everyone's contribution is precious. And don't think that the kitchens where I work are so different from anyone's … they are the same, only the available technology changes ".
of Barbara Roncarolo
January 2020
