Chef Name: Heinz Beck
Age: 54
Title: Head Chef at La Pergola.
Awards: Three Michelin Stars for La Pergola.
Golden Medal of the Artists Foyer from La Sapienza Rome University.
How old were you when you started cooking professionally?
16.
What’s your earliest and fondest first memory of food?
Sacher torte.
What inspires you most and why?
Art, nature and architecture.
What are your two favourite cookbooks and why?
Science In The Kitchen And The Art Of Eating Well by Pellegrino Artusi and A Guide To Modern Cookery by Auguste Escoffier.
Which two ingredients could you not live without?
Fruits and vegetables.
What is your favourite comfort food to cook at home?
Sicilian arancini (rice balls).
If you could eat at any Michelin star restaurant in the world today, where would it be and why?
One of my last and best culinary experiences was at the three Michelin star Sukiyabashi Jiro in Tokyo.
And who would you take as your guest?
My wife.
What do you look for in a good chef?
Passion, creativity and humbleness.
What advice would you give to chefs starting their career paths now?
Never give up. Whatever the problem, be part of the solution.
Heinz Beck is Head Chef at La Pergola.
Website: https://romecavalieri.com/la-pergola/
Address: Rome Cavalieri, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, Via Alberto Cadlolo 101, Rome, Italy.
Telephone: +390635092152
Instagram: @heinzbecklapergola & @romecavalieri
Twitter: @BeckHeinz & @RomeCavalieri
