Did you know that Tuscan cuisine can be naturally vegan?
Discover the full-vegan meals our chefs prepare at your Tuscan home.
In the past cultivating the land was a way of life and the necessity of sustainability led to the creation of a vibrant vegetarian and vegan culinary legacy. It’s about timeless tastes: we bring age-old recipes to life in a modern context. Wine included.
A private chef coming to your villa! Visiting Tuscany? Join one of our chef services if you really want to enjoy the best Tuscan cuisine. Arianna & Friends offers private dinners provided directly at your villa. Our chefs create culinary treats based on traditional vegan recipes, utilizing carefully chosen fresh, seasonal ingredients.
Savor the experience, and select any 4 dishes from the following options.:
Antipasti: Panzanella: A symphony of flavors in a traditional bread and vegetable salad. Verdure Grigliate: Grilled vegetables adorned with a parsley, garlic, and chili pepper topping, served on rustic bread. Verdure Fritte: Crispy deep-fried vegetables that redefine indulgence. Crostini ai Funghi: Mushroom bruschettas presented in two delectable versions. Bruschetta al Pomodoro: A burst of freshness in a classic tomato bruschetta. Main Courses: Pappa al Pomodoro: Immerse yourself in the warmth of a typical bread and tomato thick soup. Minestra di Ceci: A soul-soothing chickpea soup. Minestra di Fagioli: A hearty beans soup that pays homage to tradition. Risotto ai Funghi: Delight your senses with a decadent mushroom risotto. Risotto Zucchini e Pinoli: A symphony of flavors with zucchini and pine nuts. Fagioli Rifatti: Experience comfort in a stew of beans and rich tomato sauce. Fagiolini in Umido: Elevate green beans to a whole new level in a savory stew. Desserts: Dolce all’Olio: Indulge in the luxury of an olive oil-based cake. Biscotti alle Noci: Crunch into the perfection of nut-based biscuits. Frittelle di Farina di Castagne: Conclude your feast with the sublime sweetness of chestnut flour pancakes.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL MEAL SERVICES
At Arianna & Friends, our cooks are not just culinary experts; they are friendly local individuals who bring the warmth of family cooking to your table. Rather than serving elaborate dishes, they craft meals using cherished traditional recipes, creating an experience reminiscent of home.
Our cooks arrive equipped with fresh ingredients, prepare the meal on-site, serve, and conduct a thorough cleanup, leaving your kitchen and dining space as they found it.
We provide in-home chef services and bring our own utensils and tools. However, we utilize the villa’s resources to set the table and serve the food. Tables, chairs, cutlery, glasses, or plates are not included. Additional arrangements can be made at an extra cost with an external provider.
WHAT WE ASK OF YOU:
• Access and Timing: Please, ensure permission for our cooks to access the villa and kitchen. Please, ask the villa manager/owner before booking the service. Confirm that the villa is accessible at the agreed-upon time to avoid additional fees for waiting time. You find this information in the voucher. • Preparation: Please, Leave the kitchen clean and free from personal items for prompt service.Additional cleaning time will incur an extra fee. • Table Settings: Provide the correct number of table settings for your party size (chairs, cutlery, glasses, tableware). We will utilize only what is available. • Punctuality: Please, be at the table on time; delays will result in extra charges. • Service Gaps: We plan for a 5 – 6-minute gap between the end of one course and the serving of the next one. Delays from your side will be charged extra. • Children’s Meals: If serving children first, expect an extra hour of service, charged accordingly. • Allergies and Restrictions: Communicate any food restrictions or allergies at the time of booking. Last-minute changes are not possible. • Extended Services: Please, inform us in advance if you plan to have a long dinner with additional activities such as speeches, singing and dancing. We’ll provide a personalized quotation for extended service hours.
Extra Charges:
Delays result in a €15/half-hour (€30/hour) charge per staff member.
This is a list of specialties that you are likely to sample as part of menu of the chef service. Please, note that these are just some examples of what can be prepared. A full list of options is available for you to choose from. Our booking staff will send you detailed information.
Kale is a great topping for a bruschetta after sauteing in extra virgin olive oil and garlic. It is seasoned with black pepper and it can join cannellini beans.
One of the most delicious salads of Tuscany, based on bread and fresh vegetables like cucumbers, onion, tomatoes and basil and dressed with extra virgin olive oil and Tuscan vinegar.
One of the most delicious specialties of Tuscany: a base of red tomato sauce and garlic and stale bread make a thick bread soup, dressed with extra virgin olive oil and finished with leaves of basil or sage.
The Tuscan soil provides a wide variety of red wines, from easy-to-drink young table wines to full-body and robust riservas. Tuscan red wines are often based on Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo or Colorino grapes and sometimes on international grapes like Merlot, Cabernet or Syrah.
Tuscan white wines are often based on a typical grape called Vermentino, which provides strong minerality and freshness to the wines made with it. Other very common grapes for white wines in Tuscany are Trebbiano and Malvasia.
Zuppa alla frantoiana means vegetable soup of the olive oil maker. It is a delicious soup made of sauted vegetables like carrots, potatoes, beans, kale and cabbage on which the final touch is freshly squeezed extra virgin olive oil. It was traditionally the soup that authentic oil mills in Tuscany were preparing for their guests […]
For this service you will meet some of the Tuscan friends involved in the preparation of your meal. Please, see below which friends you are likely to encounter.
Anna
friend
Anna
Buongiorno a tutti! My name is Anna from San Miniato, a historical town in Tuscany famous also for its delicious white truffles. I met Arianna and Massimo in the early 2000s, when we were all working at a local agriturismo: I was at the reception while they were starting their career as event organizers and food tour operators. As their company was expanding we had several occasions for cooperating until I finally joined the team more stably in 2022. I now deal with accountancy and coordination of all the chefs for the many services a day that we arrange. I spend most of my free time at sea as I now live in Livorno, a beautiful harbor town.
Carlo
friend
Carlo
Mi chiamo Carlo, the only "boy" among the chefs of Arianna & Friends. I am a cousin of Lorena, who has worked with the company for long now and who introduced me to them back in 2022. I live in Pontedera, home of Vespa, and I have been cooking all my life, since preparing delicious food has always been my great passion. In my working age I was an operator for an insurance company, so I know plenty of local people and I am very friendly and talkative. I then retired and decided to dedicate myself to the things I like the most: cooking and joining friends. I have limited Enlish but miraculously all our guests can easily understand me through my body language and face expressions. I will be waiting for you for great barbecue dinners and traditional dishes of all kinds!
Elisabetta
friend
Elisabetta
Hi everybody, ciao a tutti. I am Elisabetta and I am the youngest one among the chefs of Arianna & Friends. I have been working with the company for several years, initially just as a sous-chef and eventually as a proper chef. I have accumulated many years of experience while learning from all my other colleague chefs, but I also added my personal taste and knowledge to the whole. I am really happy to be part of this team and to be able to meet people from all over the world. In my free time I enjoy the company of my lovely puppy for long walks or just hanging around for shopping. Ciao a presto!
Silvia
friend
Silvia
Ciao, I'm Silvia, one of the youngest cooks at Arianna & Friends'. Cooking is my real passion and I like to prepare any traditional dish both for visitors and for my family. I also love baking pizza as well as trying innovative food and special contemporary techniques, especially in my kitchen at home. When I started working for this company in 2018, I met an incredible team of collaborators and with them I finally feel joy and serenity in what I do. Any time I work as a cook I can breath freedom and this makes me happy.
As I really love the sea, in my free time I like being at the beach. I have a passion for travelling and being in the company of my friends. I could define myself as a "free spirit" with a big attraction to ... hats !!!
Looking forward to meet you all!
Ester
friend
Ester
Ciao, I'm Ester, one of the cooks of Arianna & Friends'. I've been working with them since the beginning of their adventure in 2007.
I love cooking together with people from all over the world, especailly with young kids.
What I prefer to cook is pasta dishes, pizza and desserts, like for example the stunning cake I made to celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary.
I live, like Davide (my nephew), in the little village of Lajatico, birthplace of Andrea Bocelli and from my home I can hear his voice and see something when Teatro del Silenzio takes place in July.
I live in a farm and I have chickens, rabbits, a large vegetable garden. I make my own olive oil and wine together with my family.
I hope to be able to cook with many of you in the years to come and teach you a lot of our typical Tuscan food.
Lorena
friend
Lorena
Good morning everyone! I'm the cook Lorena. I started working with Arianna & Friends a few years ago when I retired, because someone set me up. You must know that Arianna is a good friend of my daughter Martina and they had this brilliant idea of asking me to cook for Arianna's tourists. Well, I coulnd't say no! Arianna tried my food for the first time when she was still at school with my daughter and she knows that I can cook very well!! ahahah
The food I prepare is purely Tuscan: I don't use and butter or lard, but just EV olive oil, from Tuscany of course. People say my meat ragu is excellent, but also my Cacciucco - Livornese style fish soup - is simply fantastic. I make preserves and the best lasagne ever!
I live in Pontedera, the town of the vespa. I'm in my early 70s and last year I got married for the second time! I like music from 40s 50s and 60s like Glenn Miller, King Cole, Frank Sinatra etc. etc.
I cannot speak English, even if I tried to attend some English classes in these last few years... I ended up chatting about food with the other students! But no problem, when I'm with some guests in their holiday home preparing a meal, I always have my little dictionary with me that helps a lot in the conversation.
I look forward meeting you all again soon!
Margherita
friend
Margherita
Eccomi! My name is Margherita, mother of 2, who lives in Santa Croce sull'Arno. I was born and raised in the fantastic wine region of Fiano, Greco and Taurasi, namely some the best wines from the South of Italy. I have been living in Tuscany for decades and I have always cooked both for my families and for several restaurants. My very mild and sweet personality is able to create a very relaxed working ambience and my guests really appreciate this atmosphere. I am a curious person who likes learning and I am ready to share my knowledge with all visitors who take on a cooking class or a chef service. Grazie a tutti!
Mariagrazia
friend
Mariagrazia
Maria Grazia, in our team called MG, is a very positive thinking lady who works as a sous-chefs at Arianna & Friends, when she is not busy helping children get born. In fact she is also a professional ostetrician! A nice irony in her character, combined with an intrinsic calm when working, create
an incredible effect during the services provided.
Paola
friend
Paola
Hi everybody! I am Paola, a talented cook who is never tired. I have been cooking all my life both privately and in the kitchens of a series of restaurants in the area I live in, near the central town of Empoli. I joined Arianna & Friends in early 2022 as the whole world was recovering from the difficult years of the pandemic and as the company was quickly restarting its operativity. I was very glad that I could join such a dynamic and friendly team and share with them all my knowledge and passion. I deal with cooking classes and chef services in all the region together with the various story-tellers and chef assistants who participate in the service. In my free time I enjoy cycling in the spectacular Tuscan hills that surround my home town. I can't wait to cook for you an unforgettable meal!
The total rate for this service varies according to the number of people in your party,
the distance of your villa from our premises in Terricciola (Pisa area) and the menu formula you prefer. Check rates in the table below.
private vegan meal prepared at your villa
– RATES 2024 –
NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN YOUR PARTY
TOTAL RATE
2 persons
€ 300
3 persons
€ 350
4 persons
€ 400
5 persons
€ 450
6 persons
€ 500
7 persons
€ 550
8 persons
€ 600
Extra Adult
€ 50
Extra Teenager (12-17 yrs)
€ 40
Child (4-11 yrs)
€ 30
VILLA LOCATION
TRAVEL COSTS (per party, not per person): No travel fee due if your villa is located within 25 minute-drive from our office in Terricciola, to locations such as Palaia, Lari, Peccioli, Terricciola, Chianni, Pontedera, Molino d’Era etc. € 60 for a 30-45-minute drive to locations such as Volterra, Montaione, San Miniato, Fucecchio, Gambassi, Castelfalfi, Pisa, Fauglia, Buti, Vicopisano € 110 for a 50-70-minute drive to locations such as Vinci, Lucca center, Livorno, Rosignano, San Casciano V Pesa, Viareggio, Montespertoli, San Gimignano, Colle V Elsa, Pomarance area € 160 for a 75-90-minute drive to locations such as Lucca northern area, some Chianti vilages, Siena, Follonica, Fiesole, Florence, Sesto Fiorentino
For distances over 90-minute drive, such as remote Chianti villages, Arezzo area, southern part of the coast, please ask for an estimate. The staff will need to overnight there, so extra fee is required.
Rates include
A private cook and assistant (for groups starting from 5 people)
All food
1 bottle of wine every 4 people. For parties of 2 or 3 people, 1 bottle of wine.
Served dinner or lunch
Final cleaning of the kitchen
Tax
Please note that if your party is made of up to 4 people, the service is carried our by our chef only.
If your party is made of 5 people or more, the service is carried out by our chef and an assistant/waiter.
Rates do NOT include
Extra courses beside the scheduled ones
Birthday cake baked at local pastry shops available at an extra cost
Extra wines on top of the wine provided (1 bottle every 4 people)
Surcharge for travel costs
Tips to the staff. Not included, not obligatory but very much appreciated
LOCATION OF ACTIVITY:
This service is delivered to your villa in any location in Tuscany within 25 minutes driving from our premises in Terricciola, Pisa area. For destinations located more than 30 minutes from our premises a surcharge applies, depending on distance and cost of transportation for our chef. See more details in the rate table.
MEET-UP LOCATION:
Our chef, with or without assistant, meet you directly at your villa at an agreed meeting time. Please, provide us with full details on the location of your accommodation.
TYPE OF SERVICE:
We offer a special dinner prepared at your accommodation focused on vegan recipes
DURATION OF SERVICE:
This program takes about 4 hours in total for the preparation of the meal, the serving and the kitchen cleaning.
AVAILABILITY:
Available all the year through EXCEPT FOR 1st January, 15th August, 24th, 25th and 26th December.
LANGUAGE:
Our chefs speak limited English. For parties of 5 people or more, an English speaking assistant is present too.
FOOD RESTRICTIONS:
Please inform us in case of possible food restrictions or allergies
PERMISSIONS:
We arrange our private chef service at any villa after asking the owners/housekeepers for their permission. This is also helpful in order for us to check the existence of tools and equipments in the villa for the preparation of the meals.
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