It all began in São Paulo on June 10th with the presentation of the S.Pellegrino Sapori Ticino 2025 edition at the prestigious Swiss consular residence, hosted by Swiss Consul Pierre Hagmann. It was a moment of great celebration and joy with journalists, influencers, tour operators, and several Brazilian dignitaries, in the presence of Fabien Clerc, Director of Switzerland Tourism Brazil, and the management of SWISS Brazil, with the support of Lugano Region, UBS Brazil, and the Sanpellegrino Group. It was a new opportunity to share the uniqueness of our region with so many guests.
Once again, the Festival, which has always aimed to establish a genuine cultural exchange through food and wine, has become an important tool for promoting our region.
Starting at the end of September, six of Brazil's top chefs will bring their culinary culture, the colors, and flavors of their homeland to Ticino. Dinners will take place, as always, in some of the region's most beautiful and iconic locations, including restaurants and hotels in the most picturesque corners of the region, hosted by their Ticino colleagues. In the latest ranking of The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025, presented in Turin last June, four of them are among the world's top 100, demonstrating the significant stature of Brazilian gastronomy.
The Festival kicked off on September 18th with two Brazilians who call Ticino home: Daniel Ortiz and Giovani Bortolozzo, chefs and sous chefs at Tenuta Castello di Morcote, who will host a special Dîner au Château at the splendid estate.
The event officially kicked off on September 22nd with the Grand Opening with Swiss Deluxe Hotels at the Hotel Splendide Royal in Lugano, with Marco Veneruso, 1 Michelin star, hosting Mike Wehrle and Damian Carini of the Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne in Obbürgen, and Michele Fortunato, 1 Michelin star, of the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva.
Alberto Landgraf of Ristorante Oteque (ranked 81st in the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025) will arrive from Rio de Janeiro on September 28th. He will be hosted by Marco Campanella, a two-Michelin-starred chef, at Eden Roc in Ascona, and on September 30th at Loris Meot's Ciani in Lugano. A chef of German and Japanese origins, with an Italian grandmother, his cuisine combines technical precision, simplicity, and local ingredients, reflecting a balance between his cultural roots.
Three evenings for Felipe Schaedler of Ristorante Banzeiro in São Paulo and Manaus in the Amazon, the leading chef of his generation for Amazonian cuisine: on September 29th he will be at the Swiss Diamond Hotel in Vico Morcote with Egidio Iadonisi, on October 2nd in Moncucchetto, Lugano with Andrea Muggiano, and on October 5th at Seven Toc Toc in Ascona with Nicola Leanza.
From Sao Paulo on October 6th to Meta, Lugano with Arturo Fragnito, 1 Michelin Star and on October 8th at Ristorante La Baia, Locarno with Salvatore Sanfilippo will be the protagonist Ivan Ralston, Tuju Restaurant, 2 Michelin stars and 1 green star (70th in the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025) who will present a cuisine that reflects the multiculturalism of his city, with an in-depth study of seasonal ingredients.
On October 12th at the Hotel Splendide Royal – Lugano, Marco Veneruso, 1 Michelin star and on October 14th at the Hotel Belvedere – Locarno, Rosario Stipo will host Luiz Filipe Souza, a native of Veneto, of the Evvai Restaurant in São Paulo, 2 Michelin stars (95th in the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025), modern, creative and deeply committed to the research of Brazilian ingredients.
For the younger crowd, but not only, on October 16th there will be a Lounge Evening at the Lugano Casino with Moreno Manzini of the Elementi del Casinò restaurant, who will host Emanuele Bertelli of the Seven Lugano restaurant.
The EOC – Salute con Sapore evening returns on October 23rd at the Seven Lugano Restaurant with Emanuele Bertelli, who will host chefs from the various EOC hospital kitchens for a healthy, gourmet menu.
On November 9th at the Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola in Lugano with Alessandro Boleso and on the 11th at the Ristorante Seven Lugano with Emanuele Bertelli, it will be the turn of Manu Buffara, restaurant Manu, Curitiba, best chef of 2022 according to Latin America's 50 Best, a South American icon who embodies the bright colors of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.
On November 12th at Villa Principe Leopoldo, Cristian Moreschi will host Rafa Costa e Silva of the 2-Michelin-star Lasai restaurant in Rio de Janeiro, ranked 28th in the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants 2025.
The event will end on November 16th with the Final Party at the new Swiss Diamond Boutique Hotel La Romantica in Melide with Egidio Iadonisi and some Ticino chefs from the Grandes Tables Suisses from Lugano: Marco Badalucci-Ristorante Badalucci, Alessandro Boleso-Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola, Arturo Fragnito, 1 Michelin star, Ristorante Meta and Marco Veneruso, 1 Michelin star, Hotel Splendide Royal.
To further publicize the excellence of our canton, there will be evenings beyond the Gotthard, on October 21st at the Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne, Obbürgen – Swiss Deluxe Hotel with Mike Wehrle who will host Alessandro Boleso – Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola, Lugano, Cristian Moreschi – Villa Principe Leopoldo, Lugano, Marco Veneruso, 1 Michelin star, Hotel Splendide Royal, Lugano, Egidio Iadonisi – Swiss Diamond Hotel, Vico Morcote and Arturo Fragnito, 1 Michelin star, Ristorante Meta, Lugano.
And again on November 4th at EHL in Lausanne, the world's leading Hospitality Business School with which the collaboration continues, Marco Badalucci – Ristorante Badalucci, Lugano, Federico Palladino, 1 Michelin star, Osteria Enoteca Cuntitt in Castel San Pietro, Loris Meot & Dario Ranza, Ristorante Ciani, Lugano will be the creators of a dinner of local flavors assisted by students attending the preparatory year of the Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality Management under the supervision of EHL chefs and event management experts, putting their hospitality skills into practice.
The Ticino region will be in the spotlight for two months, thanks in part to Brazilian chefs who, as true stars in their own country, will bring visibility to the region with their audience of over 2 million followers on social media. Full details at sanpellegrinosaporiticino.ch
Pictures:
Event in São Paulo on June 10: from left: Bruno Tenório – CEO of Pronto, the agency for the Lugano Region in Brazil in the Business to Business, media, and social media segments; Pierre Hagmann – Consul of Switzerland in São Paulo; Dany Stauffacher, CEO of Sapori Ticino; and Fabien Clerc, Director of Switzerland Tourism Brazil.
Ticino Team Chefs SPST 2025
With Dany Stauffacher: Lorenzo Albrici, Marco Badalucci, Eugenio Belfiore, Luca Bellanca, Andrea Bertarini, Emanuele Bertelli, Alessandro Boleso, Marco Campanella, Diego Della Schiava, Bernard Fournier, Arturo Fragnito, Egidio Iadonisi, Nicola Leanza, Moreno Manzini, Loris Meot, Cristian Moreschi, Andrea Muggiano, Daniel Ortiz, Federico Palladino, Andrea Pedrina, Dario Ranza, Jacopo Rovetini, Salvatore Sanfilippo, Francesco Sangalli, Ambrogio Stefanetti, Rosario Stipo, Marco Veneruso
