Il Borro Tuscan Bistro Opens in Crete
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Il Borro Tuscan Bistro is expanding to a resort location for the first time.
The Ferragamo family’s dining concept had a soft opening earlier in July at the Elounda Peninsula All Suite Hotel on the island of Crete.
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The aim for Ferruccio Ferragamo is for the new outpost to reflect the style and philosophy of the 11th-century village Il Borro estate in Tuscany’s Arezzo area, which has been owned by the entrepreneur since 1993 and today is managed together with his children, Salvatore and Vittoria.
“Our partners must share the values of Il Borro, and once that requirement is met, the location is the next step,” says Ferruccio Ferragamo, who holds the role of chairman.
The venue is indeed stunning, overlooking the sea, but while several miles away from Tuscany, Ferragamo underscored that guests “should feel the same atmosphere of the original Borro — this is key.”
image courtesy of Il Borro
The design reflects elements of the Tuscan tradition through wooden panels, wrought iron and marble details. There is a lounge area with a bar, for a light lunch or an aperitif.
The Tuscan menu of the restaurant offers fresh and seasonal ingredients in the Italian tradition under the watchful eye of executive chef Andrea Campani, who worked to maintain the sustainability standards of Il Borro, employing exclusively organic raw materials produced at the Tuscan village. Campani is in charge of all the Il Borro restaurants.
Il Borro wines, produced through traditional methods, have all been certified organic since 2015, under the direction of Salvatore Ferragamo, Ferruccio’s son, who shares his name with his grandfather, the founder of the Italian luxury fashion company.
The Ferragamos expanded the winemaking from a small original vineyard to cover 222 acres and have been producing wines linked to the territory, from the drier sangiovese up higher on the hills to cabernet and syrah on the land close to the Arno river, and merlot at the bottom of the valley, where the ground is clayey.
Il Borro produces 150,000 bottles of wine a year. The first harvest dates back to 1999, and the first 6,700 bottles of Il Borro Toscana were presented at wine trade show Vinitaly in 2001.
“From the farm to the table, the continuous research for sustainability and the respect for the territory are the foundations of our biological wines and products,” says Ferruccio Ferragamo, citing organic honey, seasonal vegetables and extra virgin olive oil. “Honey always reminds me of my mother [the late Wanda Ferragamo] who loved it, as she did bees,“ he muses fondly.
Chianina pigs are bred in Tuscany, and sheep milk is used to produce ricotta and pecorino cheese. Il Borro also started growing spelt and antique wheat, producing a very light flour, pasta and crackers.
courtesy of Il Borro
In sync with his father, Salvatore Ferragamo, chief executive officer of Il Borro, is not seeking expansion as an end in itself, and touts the “authenticity of the venue,” where everything is “controlled in order to employ the same ingredients, following the same procedures and offering the same service as in Tuscany.”
The Elounda Peninsula All Suite Hotel was also chosen as it is “not a huge, standard multinational structure,” but it leverages “extensive experience in hospitality.”
The “magnificent view on the sea and the unique location” obviously contribute to the attraction of the venue, he adds.
With Bistro units also in Florence, Dubai and London, Ferruccio Ferragamo does not rule out additional locales around the world. “If I had a magic wand I would perhaps like to open one in America,” he offers, noting that many guests of Il Borro hail from the U.S. “We do have a lot of requests but we must be careful and take measured steps to do things that add to but doesn’t inflate this project.”
In addition to being “a good business venture,” the Bistros allow the Ferragamos to display and sell the products made in Tuscany.
Il Borro in Tuscany, which is part of the Relais & Châteaux association, also offers suites and villas to rent. Asked if he would also consider expanding the lodging venture outside of Italy, Ferruccio Ferragamo says that “would be a big leap. It’s a different business and service must be top level.”
While he demurs from giving a definite answer, he leaves the door open, saying that it could happen some time down the line. However, he warns, “It’s not enough to have a beautiful place, you need to have good service and the right people.”
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