Chef’s Lab x Gustiamo and Friends

The beauty and value of food can be found in its simplicity and culture, made even better when shared around the table. Join us for a tastemade evening - as founder Beatrice Ughi +Team Gustiamo, Forsythia NYC, and Caffè Panna prepare a multi-course dinner highlighting artisanal ingredients of the Italian landscape.  

The evening honors Every Plate Counts, a global campaign founded by our partner Food for Soul, UNEP and FAO in honor of 29th September, International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (IDAFLW).   Together, in a world where food is needed at every table - why waste! Please note this event is alcohol free .

"A dish can carry memories.  A Table can create community.  A chef can be a bridge, not just between flavours, but between people, ideas and generations."  Massimo Bottura, UNEP Global Goodwill Ambassador, SDG Advocate.

*Event is alcohol free 

About Refettorio Harlem

Refettorio Harlem is a community and cultural hub located inside The Historic EMANUEL AME church on 199th street - founded by Food for Soul, Free Food Harlem and the Church during the pandemic to nourish those facing food insecurity and isolation as we unite to enable a sustainable inclusive food system.  Free Food Harlem manages the local initiative, uplifting their food and social justice work, offering hospitality dinners, at no cost for vulnerable guests, serving over 600 meals per week alongside a healthy fresh foods pantry, job training and arts education activities.  Their food recovery program in collaboration with a broad coalition of food rescue partners, recovers over 2000 lbs of food from the waste stream, transforming surplus ingredients into meals served at the table or in nourishing 100 people weekly with organic groceries from their fresh choice pantry.  In 2024, Free Food Harlem diverted close to 106,000 lbs of food from waste, saving 99,000 lbs of CO2 emissions and returning an economic value of approx. $300,000 back into nourishing the community.

Free Food Harlem is part of Food for Soul’s global Refettorio Network - 12 projects across 9 countries - working to foster social inclusion and promote healthy sustainable food.  Founded in 2015, Food for Soul launched the first Refettorio in Milan, Italy in collaboration with Caritas Ambrosiana and a network of artists, designers, chefs, and community leaders.  The model would go on to become a global movement of projects and partners - working together to  transform the traditional soup kitchen into a place of hospitality, beauty and connection where their collective efforts mobilize awareness and civic engagement to ensure sustainable good food for all.

About Gustiamo

Gustiamo was founded  in 1999 as an online retailer with the mission to improve the quality of Italian food in the States.  Since then, Gustiamo has been independently importing the best and most authentic food from Italian farmers and food makers, wonderful people dedicated to their land and traditions. In addition to their online store, they also have a robust wholesale program dedicated to restaurants and stores all over the USA. 

**About International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (IDAFLW) **

The first International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste was honored on September 29, 2020. The United Nations General Assembly designated this day to raise global awareness about the problem of food loss and waste, its impact, and to promote collective action and innovative solutions.  The day supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – SDG 12.3 to halve global food waste at the retail and consumer level and food losses along production and supply chains by 2030. 
About Every Plate Counts
Created by Food for Soul in collaboration with UNEP, FAO, and WWF, Every Plate Counts is a global campaign designed to shift how we think about food waste. It invites individuals to recognize the value of food and the power of their choices by lifting up what’s on their plate.
This initiative is about more than waste prevention—it’s about our relationship to food: what we cook, eat, and share. A single plate represents food history, culture, and traditions, as well as nutrition, security, and safety. In a world where not everyone has a plate, why waste?