Territori

The cuisine of Aimo and Nadia becomes a cultural project

A press conference at Politecnico di Milano regarding the collaboration with Aimo e Nadia restaurant. The main screen displays the "Verso TERRITORI" dish with the question: "What happens if we read cooking as a design practice?". A panel of experts discusses on stage in front of the audience.

A cultural project developed by Gruppo Aimo e Nadia Milano together with the Design Department of the Politecnico di Milano transforms cuisine into a cultural and research experience, exploring the dialogue between gastronomy, creativity, production chains, and the identity of Italian territories.

The research pathway, launched at the beginning of 2025 and concluded in January 2026, examines the relationships between restaurateurs and producers, supply chain models, and the creative dynamics that connect them. Through field observations, generative listening practices, and co-design activities, it has been possible to systematize the method underlying these collaborative processes, highlighting the cultural, creative, and sustainability-driven logics that shape their development.

From the outset, the project has taken the form of a collaborative and reflective process, rooted in everyday practices. Chefs, members of the group Aimo e Nadia, and various actors within the supply chain were involved in dialogue and co-design activities, following an approach that belongs both to the discipline of design and to the working method that has always defined the group.

An interactive co-design board for the "Verso TERRITORI" project by Aimo e Nadia and Politecnico di Milano. It features pinned cards with keywords like "Synergies", "Tradition", and "Respect", alongside a photo of researchers at work.
Co-design by Politecnico di Milano and Aimo e Nadia
«Through the discipline of design, we sought to make explicit the method underlying these collaborations and to understand their generative potential. In practice, this work translates into research and development activities that may involve both academia and industry, into educational pathways and personal growth, as well as into dissemination projects, opportunities to narrate and directly experience the Territori system. »

Anna Meroni, Full Professor at the Department of Design.

The project’s results were presented during a press conference held on March 25 at the Department of Design. During the meeting, the research team Anna Meroni and Marta Corubolo engaged in a dialogue with Stefania Moroni, Alessandro Negrini and Fabio Pisani, CEO and chef patrons of the Aimo e Nadia group, together with Andrea Bezzecchi, founder of Acetaia San Giacomo. The discussion involved food industry journalists and academics working on related topics, with the aim of further exploring the method and outcomes of the research.

Chef Alessandro Negrini watches an expert use a traditional hammer to check the quality of a Parmigiano Reggiano wheel. In the background, tall shelves filled with aging cheese wheels stretch through the Gennari dairy.
Chef Alessandro Negrini visiting the Parmigiano Gennari Dairy in Parma

During the conference, Francesco Zurlo, Dean of the School of Design at the Politecnico di Milano, emphasized how Territori allows cuisine to be interpreted not only as a gastronomic expression, but as a design practice. He further highlighted how creativity emerges from the encounter between diverse skills and sensibilities, and how, by opening up to different worlds, this collaboration can evolve into a method capable of generating new strategic visions and development opportunities.

From research to experience: the Chef’s Table Territori

The results of the collaborative activities, dialogue, and research find a first concrete application in the Chef’s Table Territori, a format that transforms the restaurant into a space dedicated to in-depth exploration and exchange.

Chef Alessandro Negrini shows an artichoke to a researcher from Politecnico di Milano during a visit to the SoGeMi market. In the background, tall stacks of vegetable crates are visible in a wholesale market setting.
Chef Alessandro Negrini and Politecnico di Milano visiting the SoGeMi Fruit and Vegetable Market in Milan

Here, the gastronomic experience expands into a narrative and immersive dimension: supply chains, products, and territories are conveyed through the joint work of chefs and producers. The counter thus becomes a space for connection and knowledge, where the menu is not merely a tasting, but a living narrative of raw materials and production processes, in line with an increasingly conscious vision of dining.

«Italian cuisine has always been a story of places, people, and seasons, and with Territori we wanted to pause and reflect on this relationship, to explore it together with the world of research and understand how to make it even more aware. It is not only about selecting excellent ingredients, but about understanding the systems that generate them and the people who preserve them. »

Fabio Pisani, Gruppo Aimo e Nadia.

Between heritage and future

Within this framework, cuisine is reaffirmed as a tool for the cultural interpretation of the country and as a device for engaging with its territories. Over time, the group has built deep relationships with producers and supply chains, contributing not only to their enhancement but also to the evolution of practices and products.

The image depicts a cooking class or a gastronomic event held inside a spacious and bright workshop. At the center of the scene, two chefs in white uniforms work behind a large wooden table, surrounded by a group of people observing the preparation closely, while other participants are seated along the tables ready for a tasting. The setting is equipped with wire shelving units, a professional kitchen in the background, and fresh ingredients laid out on the workspace, creating a convivial and educational atmosphere.
Chef Alessandro and Fabio for a lecture at Politecnico di Milano – Food on Campus
«Cuisine is our way of interpreting Italy, and over the years we have built deep relationships with many producers, working together to enhance and, in some cases, evolve their products. Territori emerges precisely from this ongoing dialogue between cuisine and production. »

Alessandro Negrini, Gruppo Aimo e Nadia.

Territori fits within this continuity, carrying forward a legacy rooted in the history of Aimo e Nadia and projecting it into a contemporary dimension, in dialogue with the world of research and with new generations. The project looks to the future while maintaining a strong connection to a tradition built over more than sixty years of activity.

Towards a cultural platform

The project will continue with the establishment of a non-profit cultural association, with the aim of supporting and expanding Territori’s activities, transforming it into a permanent observatory on the future of Italian cuisine.

“Panel of six people seated on chairs in a modern auditorium during a public discussion. In the background, a screen displays a presentation titled ‘Territori’ with the name Fabio Pisani. Small tables with bottles and glasses are placed at the center. The setting is minimalist, with dark curtains and conference-style lighting
Aimo e Nadia Presentation at Politecnico TERRITORI-013

The platform is conceived as an operational system connecting restaurants, businesses, professionals, and institutions through research activities on agri-food supply chains, educational programs, meetings, events, and editorial content. These initiatives will be developed with the direct involvement of selected companies and producers, alongside academic institutions and cultural partners, shaping an ecosystem in which research, industry, and dining engage in continuous dialogue.

Within this perspective, Territori also opens up to international collaborations, including a partnership with the EHL Hospitality Business School in Lausanne, focused on the development of educational models and dedicated training programs.

For Stefania Moroni, the project represents a natural step in the history of Aimo e Nadia Milano.

« My father, Aimo, always considered cuisine as a cultural act before a gastronomic one. Territori carries forward this legacy and brings it into a contemporary dimension, placing it in dialogue with the world of research and with new generations. It is a project that looks to the future, yet is rooted in a history spanning more than sixty years.»

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