Nando DiFenza, Executive Chef

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Nando was born in Naples 50 years ago and lived there until the age of 20.

The second of three children, he comes from a simple working family and has two sisters whom he adores.

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He follows and practices various sports but is especially passionate about football. He is a great fan of Napoli, and cycling, which he still practices at an amateur level.

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After working in construction with his father, he accidentally discovered his passion for cooking.  He began working in a pastry shop and every day observed the work of pastry chefs with curiosity and fascination. During

that period of time, he was inspired to enroll in hotel school in 1984 and, despite difficulties and sacrifices, he managed to complete his studies successfully in 1989 while doing his military service in Caserta.

 

In 1990, he began working at a restaurant in Capua as a kitchen assistant and, in 1991, he became assistant pastry chef at the Golf Hotel in Punta Ala.

He arrived in Siena in 1992 to work as a match cook at one of the most famous restaurants in the area: the Park Hotel.  

 

1994 was a year of growth, thanks to professional experience he gained at the Grand Hotel in Rome and, in 1995, he worked in Marino Laziale (Rome) at the Hotel Elio Cabala as the first pastry chef.  Because of this experience, another secret dream came true: to host his favorite team, the Grande Napoli, for 3 days.

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In 1998, he returned to the Park Hotel in Siena.  Then, from 1999 to 2003, he worked at Palazzo Ravizza and, in 2001, he attended refresher courses on bakery and sweets at the Étoile in Venice.

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Since 2003 he managed the kitchen of Il Capriccio, at Palazzo Ravizza, and in 2007 a new adventure began for him, teaching foreigners at the Dante Alighieri cooking school in Siena.

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Nando is now the Executive Chef at Borgo San Fedele!

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My career has allowed me to reach a high level of professionalism, however my way of cooking fully reflects my way of being: sporty and healthy.  Mine is a simple and light cuisine, but not without imagination and originality.     - Nando