The food and wine excellences of Friuli Venezia Giulia arrive in the heart of London, inside Mercato Metropolitano Mayfair, bringing the taste, quality and identity of a unique Italian region to one of the British capital’s most dynamic international food hubs. Officially presented last night, May 18, was “Frico Very Good”, a project born from the collaboration between the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, PromoTurismoFVG – the regional tourism promotion agency – and Mercato Metropolitano, through which some of Friuli Venezia Giulia’s most representative products will be available within a dedicated corner aimed at promoting the region’s agri-food and wine tourism heritage across international markets.
The launch event at Mercato Metropolitano Mayfair involved industry operators, buyers and importers from the UK market, stakeholders and specialised media, offering a first preview of a project set to expand over the coming months. The partnership includes, by summer and for a duration of 24 months, the opening of a dedicated corner for the region’s signature products, focused on retail and food service within the market, with progressive development also planned across Mercato Metropolitano’s other London locations in Mayfair, Canary Wharf and Elephant & Castle.
Among the distinguished guests attending the event were the Italian Consuls in London Rosella Gentile, Alessandro Mignoni and Umberto Bernardo, Head of the Economic Office at the Embassy of Italy to the United Kingdom. Also present were Walter Gumina, Secretary General of the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the UK, Roberto Costa, President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the UK, Massimiliano Fedriga, President of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Iacopo Maestroni, Director of PromoTurismoFVG, and Stefano Zannier, Regional Councillor for Agriculture of Friuli Venezia Giulia.
The initiative was created with the objective of promoting Friuli Venezia Giulia worldwide — a region in north-eastern Italy with 1.2 million inhabitants and a rich heritage of traditions, history, nature, culture and gastronomy — through its food and wine excellences, transforming food into a tool for cultural, territorial and identity storytelling. The leading ambassador of the project is frico, the iconic recipe originating in the 15th century and symbol of Friulian tradition: a preparation made from melted cheese, often enriched with potatoes, onions or seasonal local ingredients, available in several variations ranging from crispy and thin to soft and stringy versions. Alongside this traditional dish, the “Frico Very Good” corner will offer a selection of products representative of the region’s quality and identity, with the aim of introducing the public to the entire food and wine heritage of Friuli Venezia Giulia: from San Daniele PDO ham to regional wines, from traditional spirits to cured meats and other distinctive agri-food products. The project involves six local companies: Rodaro (Friuli Venezia Giulia wines), Cucina di Carnia (traditional Frico), Pomis (apple juice), Lovison (Friulian cured meats), Casa del Prosciutto Alberti (San Daniele PDO Ham) and Buiese (Friulian spirits).
During the evening, guests had the opportunity to taste some of the products featured in the project, including original fusion interpretations created in collaboration with other international concepts already operating within Mercato Metropolitano Mayfair.
The initiative represents an important territorial promotion project capable of combining gastronomy, culture, tourism and regional identity within a contemporary and cosmopolitan platform such as Mercato Metropolitano, internationally recognised as one of the most authoritative and innovative food market operators, with more than million customers served. The three venues — Mayfair, Canary Wharf and Elephant & Castle access to millions of international visitors and hundreds of thousands of London residents. The Mayfair area, one of London’s highest-income and highest-spending districts together with the West End, attracts more than 10 million annual visitors and over 240,000 professionals daily; Canary Wharf, a global financial hub, hosts over 120,000 professionals every day and 300,000 residents in the surrounding area; while Elephant & Castle, one of London’s fastest-growing residential and urban areas with a strong local community, is home to more than 170,000 residents.
“Frico Very Good” combines retail, cultural promotion and strategic marketing, and will represent a stable and recognisable presence for Friuli Venezia Giulia within London’s gastronomic landscape, designed to promote not only the region’s products but also its tourism appeal.
“The Region is establishing a permanent presence in London to strengthen its position within the UK market: a dedicated space that, over the next twenty-four months, will promote our territory through its most authentic flavours. To represent the food and wine excellence of our land, we have chosen frico as our ambassador: a recipe whose origins date back to the fifteenth century and which today becomes the symbol of our ability to combine tradition and innovation, also through original fusion interpretations created specifically for this great international metropolis,” said the President of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Massimiliano Fedriga, during the presentation of “Frico Very Good”, the project born from the collaboration between the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, PromoTurismoFVG — the regional tourism promotion agency — and Mercato Metropolitano Mayfair, through which some of Friuli Venezia Giulia’s most representative products will be available in a dedicated corner aimed at promoting the region’s agri-food and wine tourism heritage across international markets.
Nicola Allieta, CEO of Mercato Metropolitano, commented: “Events and initiatives like this create a meaningful bridge between territories, cultures and international communities. Mercato Metropolitano continues to promote the excellence of Italy around the world, creating authentic opportunities for connection, sustainability and the celebration of regional food heritage.”