One of the best things I was told as a young man was that my dreams of becoming a chef would never come true. They said my glasses would steam up and fall in the soup, so that was that. But though it seemed like dreadful news, it changed my life. I became a waiter, and discovered front of house and an opportunity for a fantastic career for someone who loves people.
I left my home in Venice and came to England, and over the next 20 years worked my way up first to being a restaurant manager, and then working as a banqueting manager for some of the most prestigious banqueting houses in London. I discovered a talent for folding napkins, and I have been designing, exhibiting and teaching this craft now for many years.
This book has been a dream of mine for some time, because I want so much to get the message across both to my colleagues in the hospitality industry, and to everyone who loves to entertain at home.