How it started

I am from *Piemonte, in northern Italy. I come from a family that raised its own chickens, eggs, vegetables, rabbit and veal for the table.  My family’s veg and fruit was home-grown and preserved for the leaner months. Families would club together and buy a large consignment of meat to save money.  The home-made produce was complimented by special bought items such as truffles and amazing cheeses with cows’ and sheeps’ milk, as well as seasonal delights like locally gathered figs, wild mushrooms, hazelnuts and chestnuts. We still celebrate today the trade links with Liguria with ‘bagna cauda’ – a autumnal ‘fondue’ style dish made with anchovies– and veg to dip. We try to offer the best of Piemonte at Massimo’s, while still celebrating many of Italy’s popular dishes.

*Please note that Piemontese cuisine is not heavily laden with chillies and garlic or spices. My mother uses both sparingly, or not at all. We freshly chop chillies and garlic daily; they are available as a side at a small extra cost.

The photo on the right shows a young Massimo with his dad Igino on their family chicken farm.

A large canvas or this image is hanging over the fireplace, and the chickens gave us the idea of Massimo's logo. Due to the emotional attachment of Massimo to the chicken, we decided not to ever serve chicken on pizza! (Actually we don't do it because is not something you will ever see in any 'real' Italian pizzeria)