Recipes for Success: a Value Checklist
Choco and Cook_inc's shared values on food, creativity, and teamwork
As we approach Cook_inc's 10 year anniversary, we are reaching out to collaborate with our global Cook_inc family. And so Cook_inc teamed up with Choco, and together we created a “checklist” of our joint principles to share with our communities of chefs, producers, and gastronomes worldwide.
What is Cook_inc?
Published by Vandenberg Edizioni in Lucca, Italy, Cook_inc is an international periodical gathering honest and engaging stories of gastronomy. More than a journal and collection of words and images, this must-have for epicureans and collectors strives to bring on something of cultural significance and without an expiration date - which means, treating food and any profession around it as something with purpose.
Their recent publication Ricette Rubate is the perfect example of the Cook_inc’s essence: winner of Best of Book of the Year 2020 in Italy at Gourmand Cookbook Awards, this work in collaboration with Forno Brisa Bakery gathers the pillars of success behind the creation of this business while inviting every artisan, start-upper, and dreamer to “steal these recipes” and make them as parts of their approach to managing a business.
Related reading
Bulding a business model in the food and restaurant industry
This “cookbook without cooking recipes” answers different questions around the topic of how to develop entrepreneurial skills to work around food - from choosing ingredients and understanding a territory, to forming a team or crowdfunding a business.
Ricette Rubate and the story of Forno Brisa - a collective of 35 young people in Bologna, Italy, working on a horizontal business model including a bakery and cornfield - inspired the creation of this little checklist by Choco and Cook_inc. and was helpful to define our shared approach to working in the food and restaurant industry.
Choco x Cook_inc Checklist
Connecting food & culture
Cook_inc: “Our mission is to be in the inc(lusive) connection between food and culture. We do this by unearthing lesser-known tales that fuse gastronomy, art, image, and music, acting as a sociological zeitgeist of gastronomy.”
Choco: “We’re combining technology and culinary knowledge to solve the inefficiencies of the food and restaurant industry, one order at a time.”
Working local, thinking global
Cook_inc: “Our entire editorial process happens in Lucca supporting local industry, but our stories come from all over the world thanks to Cook_incs international network of professionals and collaborators: the Cook_inc family.”
Choco: “We’re a global team operating at regional-level to help businesses flourish and create a lively, interconnected, and efficient food scene in each city.”
Sharing knowledge
Cook_inc: “Chefs and producers entrust us with their knowledge, our responsibility is to share their stories through quality journalism, going in-depth to a degree that can only exist in the physicality of print.”
Choco: “We work in synergy with chefs to put the spotlight on their expertise and stories around topics like food waste, restaurant financials, and teamwork to inform and inspire ourselves and all industry players."
Related reading
Pursuing authenticity
Cook_inc: "We search for true quality and originality. There is no interest in chasing awards, stars, or points when what we care about is authentic storytelling.”
Choco: “Our identity carries the spirit of our team, product, and connections to the industry through both digital and face-to-face interactions.”
Bringing people together
Cook_inc: “Every contributor and collaborator become part of our global Cook_inc. family, and in November we celebrate our 10 year anniversary with our 30th issue. Together with some of our friends and family from the last decade, we will be telling the stories that are dear to our heart.”
Choco: “We connect all types of restaurants and suppliers to streamline operations, save time, and make communication smoother for a more efficient, less stressful, and more creative workflow.”
Telling stories
Cook_inc: “We tell the untold tales of the gastronomy world. We’ve been doing this in print for ten years, and now in digital form on our blog and socials, so that everyone can be part of the conversation.”
Choco: “We host webinars and update our blog to share the latest news, updates, and insights on the food industry around topics like restaurant industry new, latest culinary techniques, ingredient and tech trends...and much more!”
Related reading
Nurturing creativity
Cook_inc: “All our stories come from a collaborative creative process. Ideas are stronger when they are shared and discussed and that is where the exciting things happen. Each issue of Cook_inc acts as a capsule of collaborative artistry.”
Choco: "We partner with Gelinaz! - the event hosted by the protagonists of the global restaurant scene, including emerging talents as well as the most renowned chefs. Through creative processes, they pioneer a more innovative dining scene."
What is Choco?
In 2018 Choco emerged into the culinary scene to address and serve the problem of food waste. Now we are on a mission to digitize the global food supply chain with the purpose of building a fairer food system. Choco provides free ordering management technology to restaurants and suppliers worldwide.
With the Choco app, chefs and restaurant managers can manage orders and keep all suppliers in one place, smoother communication with their team, save time, and decrease ordering mistakes.
Our team strives to pave the way for how companies can scale for the benefit of the planet and to leave our mark for generations to come. It’s in this backdrop that Choco has collaborated with Cook_inc. magazine at the creation of our shared checklist.