Chef Francesca Buonagurelli

Private Chef in Barga

I have been cooking all my life and in 2017 I became the first Agrichef in Tuscany, a farmer chef! I am part of the National Agrichef Team representing Tuscany. I teach future Agrichefs how history of Tuscany and Italy is closely related to agriculture and the territory and how aromas and flavors are handed down by transferring them to the plate. Tradition, innovation, seasonality and culture in every dish. I hold cooking lessons for foreigners in my company and also in tourist residences. I participate in the events and show cooking that coldiretti organizes all over Italy. Owner of Agriturismo AL Benefizio opened 1999, 57 years old, Beekeeper and Olive oil producers. I have a master's degree in Industrial Design and I love Art and Music.

For me, cooking is...

Obvious and easy. Ingredients match by themselves with timing and composition

I learned to cook at...

Family, by myself, working in restaurants, Courses, First National Agrichef Course.

A cooking secret...

Know everything about olive oil

Chef Francesca's reviews

4.96

•

44 services

We loved Francesca! She and her team were professional and very personable, friendly and inviting. We helped make pasta and she gave us insights on food and local history. She brought ingredients from her own farm including honey tasting (she is a bee keeper also). We had amazing tortellini with sage butter sauce which on the fly she decided to add blueberry to which I would never consider but was truly excellent. Then we had taglaita which was local t bone steak thick cut and grilled which was outstandingly delicious. For desert we had an almond flour torte with local blueberry and chocolate ganache. We provided the wine pairings but it was truly one of the outstanding meals and experiences here in Lucca. Highly recommended!!

Francesca! There are absolutely no words created to describe her amazing food, presentation, knowledge, and personality. She’s a 100/10 stars! She feels like family.

Francesca is a wonderful chef, we had a perfect experience!

Francesca is by far the absolute best private chef experience we have ever had - she's INCREDIBLE!!! Our group of 10 was enamoured with Francesca and recommend her above so highly. We cannot thank her enough. The entire experience was sublime - she is knowledgable, funny, smart, prepared, thorough, and explains so many elements of each dish. Several of the group are accomplished cooks and have taken courses and in-depth classes - this beat all of them ten times over. Thank you thank you!! Just a fabulous experience, highly highly recommend.

Chef Francesca prepared a wonderful meal for the 10 of us. Everything was great and we had plenty of food. Really loved the ricotta pie and the honey and cheese pairings.

Chef Francesca is an amazing chef! Her food was amazing! She also has a beautiful personality!!!!

Francesca was fabulous! She prepared and presented delicious traditional Tuscan cuisine AND made sure our many and varied dietary requirements were met. Engaging, friendly and flexible - everything was possible and working with her was a dream. The ingredients were fresh from local farmers and it all tasted amazing! For a few nights we were a small group and others we were nearly 20 - Francesca managed it all smoothly and nothing was amiss! Definitely recommend Francesca as a professional and highly capable chef! :)

Francesca and her assistant Mariachiara were incredible and surpassed our expectations. I chose this chef because of her Agrichef certification and i am so happy I did. The white honey was most delicious but was made interesting by the story of how it comes to be. Francesca was an encouraging instructor for our family and I left feeling confident I could reproduce the recipes at home - if I can find #2flour. My daughter is even going to try to find the enzyme to make ricotta. I can't recommend this chef enough. I will be passing her name on to everyone I know who is looking for a delicious, fun, cooking experience.

Incredible food made from the best local ingredients. The chef team was attentive while still very discreet and extremely professional. Vauw!

Francesca was excellent! Food was exceptional!

The cheese with the chef’s home grown honey was a caring and unique touch. We are still talking about the pork loin a week later, the sauce was outstanding! Thank you for an amazing experience.

Franchesca was wonderful. She arrived early and came fully prepared. She took the time to educate my family on the origins of the food and why it was ready each way. She allowed us to take turns preparing the pasta, which my daughters said was the highlight of the entire trip. The food was one of the best meals we have ever had! I would highly recommend that you include Franchesca at your next dinner party! I only wish we had purchased her fantastic honey!

Francesca communicated her plans, needs and questions before and during the meal. She and her team showed up on time, left the kitchen and the dining room very clean and organized, and left us food for the next day. The food she cooked were amazing, so fresh and clean, and the stories accompanying the food added so much more depth and entertainment to the meal. Thank you to Francesca for cooking for my party.

Francesca and her food was the icing on the cake of our Tuscan Wedding. Living in Canada and trying to organise a wedding in Italy was stressful enough for a million reasons, but the one thing we didn’t have to worry about was the food, all thanks to Francesca. Her communication was fast, clear and nothing we asked for seemed to be a problem. Any time we changed our mind/decided on something Francesca made it happen. Knowing that all the food was homegrown or picked from the market on the day of the wedding was amazing and the taste reflected that. The first course of honey tasting from Francesca’s bees was so unique and delicious, as was every course after that! Her personality and food knowledge added a homely feel to our wedding that is rare to come by! For anyone needing a chef, I could not recommend anymore than Francesca. 10/10

Francesca made us a wonderful meal with all local ingredients, with honey, berries and more from her own farm. All tasted wonderful and it was such pleasure to hear about her story. We had a great experience and I would highly recommend her.