WHO WE ARE
ALICE DELCOURT
Alice is a French-English-American who has made Italy her home for the past 20 years. She is the chef and co-owner of Ristorante Erba Brusca, a farm-to-table restaurant and working farm on the outskirts of Milan. Since 2011, Alice has been pushing plant-based foods and sustainable hospitality at Erba Brusca, receiving both local and international acclaim 30 years ago Alice fell in love with the Italian obsession for food, and she still can’t get enough.
Alice believes that hiking up a mountain and sharing a meal will always be one of the best things life has to offer.
Alice believes that hiking up a mountain and sharing a meal will always be one of the best things life has to offer.
DANILO INGANNAMORTE
As the other half of Erba Brusca, Danilo wears many hats. He is a farmer, sommelier, carpenter and manager, and a lover of mountains, agricultural systems, books and timber framing. Born and raised in Milan, but multilingual and international at heart, Danilo studied the Philosophy of Math and then promptly took off in a different direction, opening two other restaurants before opening Erba Brusca in 2011. He started the restaurant’s farm, Orto Brusco, from the ground up, fulfilling a life-long dream to tend to the land. He manages the wine program and has curated a network of small producers who are the suppliers of Erba Brusca. He is a walking encyclopedia of wine, but down to earth with the sharing of his knowledge. Danilo will open your mind to “the nectar of the gods”, meeting you wherever you are on your wine journey.
OUR TEACHERS
A curated community of like-minded talents; we only work with the best minds and hands.
SADIE CHANLETT-AVERY
Teaching yoga for 20 years, Sadie Chanlett-Avery leads restorative experiences in spectacular settings, punctuated by delicious food. Her marquee event is an annual culinary yoga retreat to Italy.
Formerly the in-house yogi at Clif Bar & Co., she was a leader in the employee wellness program and conducted corporate yoga events across the country. She holds a Master of Arts in Holistic Health Education, was named an Athleta sponsored athlete, and has a pile of yoga and fitness certifications in a box somewhere.
With strength training expertise, she blends functional anatomy with asana and activation with relaxation. Tailored to individual needs and the dynamic of each group, her experiences are inclusive, therapeutic, and fun.
AIKO CIMARRUSTO
Born in Japan, Aiko moved to the UK in the early 80’s. At that time, Japanese ingredients were very difficult to source in Europe, so Aiko’s food memories are of her mum experimenting with the products that were available to her. Through trial and error, she recreated the familiar flavors they knew so well. Aiko learned a lot from her mother; nostalgically cooking from memory, she fed the family well. Her mother’s example allowed Aiko to develop her own particular brand of cookery. Aiko’s approach is a mixture of East and West, combining ingredients from her surroundings to produce familiar and comforting flavors. She has discovered that so many of the traditional Japanese and Far East cooking methods can be translated into the Western cuisine by using local ingredients and combining the two styles. A few years ago, Aiko also delved into the world of koji, miso-making and fermentation. Aiko and her husband Davide, a Milanese, moved to Italy a few years ago to raise their two children. Aiko is so happy to have met Alice and to have begun working with her at Erba Brusca. They quickly realized there is a wonderful synergy between them, and Aiko is excited to share her knowledge and expertise!
HARRIET METCALF
Harriet followed her love for food to Italy over twenty years ago and has been cooking here ever since. In 2009 She and her husband , a pastry chef, bought a scattering of derelict buildings and land at the top of a mountain in Liguria, only accessible on foot. Rebuilding the houses, dry stones walls, clearing land and growing most of their own food. They are currently renovating a space to host food courses, workshops and a micro mountain bakery.
