The Championship jury

Alberto Lupini

Alberto Lupini, a professional journalist since 1979, has been editor-in-chief of Italia a Tavola since 2002, having served as editorial director since the publication’s inception. He has been editor-in-chief of CHECK-IN since 2022. He has served as desk editor, correspondent and reporter for Il Sole 24 Ore, Il Mondo and L’Eco di Bergamo, cultural manager for non-profit organisations, communications and PR consultant, and essayist on economic and political history.

Alessandra Pierini

Alessandra Pierini, a passionate expert in Italian cuisine, was born in Genoa and currently lives in Paris. Travelling tirelessly throughout Italy’s regions, she has spent over 30 years sharing all her discoveries, favourite products and the stories of the artisans she has met on her travels, first in her food shop and wine cellar in Marseille and later in Paris. A journalist and author, she now shares her knowledge through numerous books, features, press articles, radio programmes and conferences.

Alessandro Cavo

Alessandro Cavo, born in 1977, is a fifth-generation Genoese entrepreneur in the confectionery sector, specialising in the production of Amaretti di Voltaggio and catering services. He is the custodian of a historic establishment, the Pasticceria Liquoreria Marescotti. Since 1996, he has run the family business, under which he reopened the historic Pasticceria Liquoreria Marescotti. He is President of Confcommercio Genova and Confcommercio Liguria, President of FIPE Liguria and a member of the National Executive Committee of Confcommercio, where he is responsible for Historic Centres and FIPE. He sits on the Executive Committee of the Genoa Chamber of Commerce as Deputy Vice-President, on the Board of Directors of Genoa Airport and chairs the World Trade Center Genoa. He is also President of Gli Storici Caffè e ristoranti storici (Historic Cafés and Restaurants) within FIPE Confcommercio. Committed to social causes, he has been a member of the Board of Directors of Helpcode ONLUS since 2016. Passionate about photography, gardening and his city, he is a life member of the Italian Touring Club.

Alessandro Marzo Magno

Alessandro Marzo Magno, a spy for the Venetian Republic in Genoa, is a journalist and has been writing popular history books for some twenty years. One of these, Il genio del gusto. Come il mangiare italiano ha conquistato il mondo (The Genius of Taste: How Italian Cuisine Conquered the World), published by Garzanti in 2024, is dedicated to the history of food. His latest book is entitled Storia di Venezia in dieci battaglie navali (The History of Venice in Ten Naval Battles) and is published by Laterza.

Alice Balsano

Alice Balsano, born in 1996, holds a degree in Food Science and Technology from the University of Milan. For several years she has been working at a consultancy firm specialising in Research and Development, Product and Process Innovation, Thermal Validation and Quality Assurance, a career she chose partly thanks to the passion instilled in her by her parents. Alongside her work, she has always nurtured a love of cooking and, more recently, has explored the world of wine through the AIS sommelier course.

Andrea Farsaci

Andrea Farsaci has been chef at the restaurant “Lo Scalo” in Pieve Ligure for 25 years. A Sicilian by birth but a Ligurian by choice for the past 50 years, he remains deeply rooted in the traditions of Sicilian and Italian cuisine in general, whilst always keeping a keen eye on the finest ingredients and striving to create dishes that truly stir the emotions.

Andrea Scarpa

Andrea Scarpa (Caserta, 1965) has been a journalist since 1987, with extensive experience in print media gained at publications such as Il Tempo, L’Informazione, and Gente. In 2002, he was one of the founders of the Italian edition of Vanity Fair, a magazine for which he worked until 2013, conducting thousands of interviews with leading figures in Italian and international entertainment, as well as over a hundred reports from various parts of the world. Since 2017, he has been Editor-in-Chief for Macro, Culture and Entertainment at the daily newspaper Il Messaggero, where he writes the interview column Lo Specchio every Sunday.

Candida D’Elia

Candida D’Elia has been working at ALMA for twenty years in the areas of educational planning and the management of training and curricular placements, roles that have enabled her to maintain constant dialogue with the key stakeholders in the educational partnership, including the school, the teaching staff, the students and the companies hosting the placements. Today, she is responsible for relations with the hospitality sector, building partnerships with brands and professionals in the industry, as well as acting as the School’s Career Service liaison, sharing various career opportunities with students and graduates through ongoing dialogue, including intergenerational exchanges. Finally, she oversees partnerships with international schools within ALMA’s network to create bespoke training programmes and joint initiatives.

Claudio Agostoni

Claudio Agostoni, traveller, works as a journalist at Radio Popolare, where he has been programme director for eight years and curates Onde Road, a programme exploring travel, cultures, sounds and cuisines from around the world. For the past 15 years, he has been organising trips for the radio’s listeners. He regularly contributes to national and international publications specialising in tourism. He also collaborates with the Italian-language Swiss Radio and Television. When he isn’t travelling the world, he can be found at the San Siro stadium supporting the black and blue team.

Daniela Colucci

During her 35 years as a professional journalist at Rai, Daniela Francesca Colucci has covered a wide range of topics, from music to major events such as the Sanremo Festival and the Cannes Film Festival, and was one of the leading contributors to the ‘Costume e Società’ column. For 18 years, she was in charge of fashion, beauty, design and lifestyle. Having joined Rai in 1991, after 14 years in Milan, she moved to Rome in 2004 to work on TG2. Since May 2025, she has been the editor and curator of Eat Parade.

Elvan Uysal Bottoni

Elvan Uysal Bottoni is a journalist based in Rome, where she has been writing about Italy through the lens of cinema, lifestyle, and contemporary culture for various Turkish magazines for many years. At the same time, she works as a correspondent in Italy for several international news agencies and media platforms, helping to build a narrative bridge between the two countries. Throughout her career, she has also gained experience in television, collaborating with a channel entirely dedicated to cooking and lifestyle—areas that reflect her interest in the language of everyday life and conviviality. She has also held a leadership role in the Turkish edition of the NatGeo and NatGeo Wild channels, overseeing content development and coordination.

Emiliano Pescarolo

Emiliano Pescarolo, 48, was born in Lombardy but has called Liguria home for the past 20 years. He is a professional diver and underwater robotics operator, married to Cristina, and the proud owner of Folie, a beautiful calico cat. He is passionate about wine and cooking, and is the winner of the seventh edition of the World Pesto Championship.

Enrico Sala

Enrico Sala, born in Milan on April 28, 1964, moved to Genoa on September 30, 1971; a civil lawyer with a passion for food and wine and conviviality. From 1998/1999 to 2010, he was head of the Slow Food Convivium in Genoa. Since April 2010, founder and coordinator of the Club Amici dell’Ippopotamo (which changed its name to “Club Amici di Henry” in September 2022)—you know what it does because you receive the newsletters. Member of the jury for the World Pesto Championship since its first edition.

Enrico Saravalle

Enrico Saravalle is a journalist with a broad and wide-ranging cultural background who loves to travel, eat and use his mouse and keyboard to describe places, experiences and flavours from every corner of the globe. When he isn’t travelling the world, he divides his time between Milan and Sicily.

Fabiana Salsi

Fabiana Salsi, mother to Lorenzo and wife to Giorgio, is half-Neapolitan (by birth) and half-Salentinian (by choice), and lives in Milan. A professional journalist, she has always written about travel and food, contributing to publications such as Vanity Fair, GQ, Donna Moderna, Starbene and the Cook-Corriere della Sera website. She is now a regular contributor to La Cucina Italiana.

Franco Lizza

Franco Lizza, born in 1984, is a notary from Genoa with a keen passion for contemporary art, of which he is a collector. Alongside his profession, he nurtures a deep interest in the world of food, which he sees as a form of culture, discovery, and sharing.

Giorgio Mercandelli

Born in Godiasco on April 2, 1962, he holds a master’s degree in sensory analysis.

He has lectured at various universities on holistic tasting and absolute quality in food and wine.

Co-founder (with his father Giovanni) of the first organic winery in Italy and the first organic distillery in the world

Creator of the biotic philosophy and the world’s first alchemical wine.

Kevin Pilley

Kevin Pilley, former professional cricketer and the former chief staff writer of PUNCH magazine, the award-winning British travel ,humour and food & drink work appears worldwide. He has been published by over 500 publications. He says that the honour of being asked to be a judge at the Pesto World Championship far exceeded that of judging the Eurovision Song Contest.

Mara Nocilla

Mara Nocilla, a professional journalist, has worked at Gambero Rosso since 1989, specialising in the food sector. She edits the Grandi Salumi guides and oversees the Salumi da Re conferences, an event organised by the publishing house in collaboration with the Spigaroli family at the Antica Corte Pallavicina. She is a taster of olive oil, honey, chocolate and cheese. She conducts blind tastings of food and drink products.

Mario Anfossi

Mario Anfossi (born in Genoa in 1954) is a farmer and winegrower in Bastia di Albenga. In 1989, he was one of the driving forces behind the establishment of the Pigato DOC designation. In 2005, he introduced the open-field cultivation of Genovese Basil PDO in the Albenga Plain, working with a consortium of farmers to sow 63 hectares. He was one of the first to process the leaves into a semi-finished product, used in the food industry for the production of pesto. Now retired, he holds the position of president of the Consorzio di Tutela del Basilico Genovese DOP.

Marisa Fumagalli

Marisa Fumagalli was born in Brianza and lives in Milan. A veteran journalist, she has worked at Corriere della Sera since 1985, where she was a correspondent for the News and Current Affairs section. Today she writes on culture and lifestyle. She also publishes the column Il Dito nel Piatto (ilditonelpiatto.corriere.it) on Corriere online, dedicated to food and wine news and events. Her articles are written from a reporter’s perspective, not that of a ‘food and wine critic’.

Marlena Buscemi

Anna Marlena Buscemi is a gastronome, lecturer and consultant, having graduated from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo. She has been teaching and talking about food for over twenty years, striving to bring together culture, taste and critical thinking without putting anyone to sleep. She eats to live, but above all she lives to understand what and why we eat, without forgetting that pleasure is a fundamental part of knowledge. She designs experiences, writes and hosts events where gastronomy becomes a way of interpreting the world, as well as menus. In her constant quest to understand the meaning of food, since 2022 she has also been a judge at the World Championship of Genovese Pesto Made in a Mortar: officially to evaluate it, unofficially so she never has to stop eating it.

Matteo Losio

Matteo Losio, a restaurateur and chef from the immediate hinterland of Genoa, is passionate about good food and authentic produce. He has held various roles working with institutions and has been involved in numerous initiatives alongside his Ligurian colleagues.

Mattia Bassi

Mattia Bassi is a mechanical engineer who was born and has always lived in Genoa; born in 1968, he lives in the countryside in the western hinterland of Genoa. He is married with three daughters and works for a multinational company. He is deeply attached to his hometown and its culinary traditions, particularly the art of making pesto in a mortar. He won the 10th World Pesto Championship on March 23, 2024, and is extremely proud of this achievement. To prepare his award-winning pesto, he used his grandmother Rosetta’s mortar and pestle, a family heirloom dating back around 100 years. From his grandmother, he also learnt a particular technique: first crushing the garlic and pine nuts and removing them from the mortar, to avoid the ‘buffering effect’ and allow the basil leaves to be ground more finely and evenly.

Maurizio Profumo

In 1979, at the age of fourteen, Maurizio Profumo joined the family business, embarking on a long journey driven by love and passion for both pastry-making and confectionery. In 2006, together with his family, he also branched out into ice cream. Next year, his shop will celebrate 200 years in business.

Maurizio Stagnitto

Maurizio Stagnitto is the Liguria coordinator for the prestigious Osterie d’Italia guide published by Slow Food, for which he oversees the selection of establishments that best represent the region’s identity. He serves as the national representative for the Slow Food Presidium of Sciacchetrà, the historic passito wine of the Cinque Terre, working actively to safeguard and promote it. He is a regular contributor to the Slow Wine guide and acts as a moderator for events, tastings and inaugural lectures (such as those at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo and the Banca del Vino) dedicated to wine culture and sustainable catering.

Michele Corti

Michele Corti, born in Genoa on June 7, 1973, graduated from the University of Genoa with a degree in Political Science. In 1998, he founded the Liguria Sport Agency. He began writing about volleyball at the age of 17 for *Il Lavoro*. In 1993, he began working in television with Telegenova, covering news and politics, events, and sports, later moving on to Telecity Italia 7, Telenord, Telemontecarlo, La 7, Telepiù, and then Sky. In 2005, he joined the team of sports commentators at Mediaset Premium. In 2000, he conceived the “Stelle nello Sport” project, which brings together dozens of events each year, involves thousands of athletes, and selects the Ligurian athletes of the year across all sports disciplines, who are then honored at the now-traditional Ligurian Sports Oscars Night.

Montefinale

Nils Hartmann

Nils Hartmann was born in Hannover, Germany in 1967, but he grew up in Milan. As Executive Vice President Sky Studios Italy, he leads the development, commissioning and production of Sky Original series for Sky Italia. He previously leaded Sky Original dramas and scripted comedies for Sky Deutschland too, with some successful titles such as Das Boot, Der Pass and Babylon Berlin. With 25 years’ experience in tv production under his belt, he joined Sky Italia back in 2003 for its launch in the role of Creative Director.

Ornella D’Alessio

Ornella D’Alessio. Napoleon loved pesto. And who could argue otherwise? He loved it so much that he took a marble mortar with him to the island of Saint Helena, a tiny British overseas territory of volcanic origin, where he was exiled from 1815 until his death on 5 May 1821. In my many wanderings around the world to produce travel reports, I always keep a keen eye out for mortars and Ligurian culinary traditions, which find their apotheosis in the brilliant World Pesto Championship, where I have often served as a judge, with great pride.

Orson Francescone

Orson Francescone has worked in the B2B media and events sector for over 15 years. He has led global conference and trade fair operations for Euromoney Institutional Investor, the Daily Mail Group and Haymarket Media. Since November 2019, he has been Chief Executive of FT Live, the Financial Times’ global events division. Throughout his career, he has specialised in helping publishers monetise their audiences and generate high-margin revenue across all event formats: from conferences and awards ceremonies to major exhibitions and trade shows, and, more recently, digital events. He has launched and managed some of the world’s most successful and award-winning events, including Gastech, the Festival of Work and, most recently, The Global Boardroom. He is an Italian-Irish national and holds a degree in economics from Trinity College, Dublin.

Paolo Ferralasco

Paolo Ferralasco, born in Genoa and holding a degree in Political Science, he chose to leave a career in the steel industry to pursue his true passion: cooking. Even as a child, he had unconventional tastes, he preferred soup to pizza, a detail that over the years evolved into a full-fledged culinary project. On November 18, 2013, Zupp took shape: an original, distinctive restaurant where meals are eaten exclusively with a spoon. The idea stems from a desire to revive an often-forgotten tradition, reinterpreting it with a contemporary perspective open to experimentation.

Pasquale Torrente

Pasquale Torrente, from Al Convento Casa Torrente. Aged 62, he is known as ‘the man who whispers to anchovies’, an ambassador for anchovy sauce and the refined culinary traditions of the coast, and is also recognised as the king of fried food.

Pier Canei

Sergio Rossi

Sergio Rossi, the ‘cucinosofo®’. I focus on food and culinary history and culture. I was director of the Conservatorio delle Cucine Mediterranee in Genoa, and I founded and curated the Giovanni Rebora Archive for the History of Food. I live and work between Genoa and the Genoese hinterland, exploring the gastronomic culture of local communities and traditional Italian food production. I contribute to newspapers, magazines and television networks.

Simona Chiavaccini

Wedding & Event Planner with over 15 years of experience in Liguria.
Expert in organizing high-end events and exclusive weddings.
Skilled in marketing, sales, and public relations.
Known for her professionalism and for managing large-scale, high-profile events.

Valentina Santarpia

Valentina Santarpia had dreamed of becoming a journalist and covering current events ever since she was a child. At the age of 24, she enrolled in a master’s program in journalism in Rome and began building her career. She soon joined the editorial staff of Corriere, where she continues to pursue her passion.