ABOUT ME

My name is Matteo Valencic, I was born in Trieste (Italy), and I grew up in a small village of 2,000 inhabitants close to the river Isonzo, San Pier d'Isonzo. Thanks to several academic and work experiences, I have had the chance to live in different cities in Italy, England and Sweden.

 

I have a great passion for everything related to food, beverage and restaurant. I get excited drinking a good bottle of wine, I feel tears in my eyes when served a really well prepared dish, and it warms deeply my heart when a guest or a customer compliments me for the work well done. During the last years, I had the chance to work as a F&B Manager in different countries, focusing primarily on the establishment and development of the business, as well as the economic aspect of it, making the numbers work every time. 

 

One of my most beautiful experiences in Sweden was as Restaurant Manager for the rooftop bar and restaurant of PM & Friends, the first enogastronomic hotel in Scandinavia which includes a Michelin starred restaurant and a wine cell awarded by the Wine Spectator with the Grand Award for several years in a row, ranking it among the best 100 commercial wine cellar in the world. The list contains almost 5,000 labels, for a total of about 20,000 bottles - a cellar built with big names together with small high-qualitative producers.

 

In 2021-2022 I had the pleasure of collaborating with Eataly in Munich (Germany), being in charge of the reopening of the restaurants and bars in Eataly’s European third biggest store. I have been taking care of both the day-to-day business as well as the economics and the planning of the new concepts, managing almost forty people. 

 

In addition to having studied as a sommelier for two years at the Academy of Restaurants in Stockholm, I have been part of several training courses, I have participated as a sommelier judge at "Amphore: International Competition for Organic Wines" in Paris, I have been an ambassador in Sweden for the Tuscany’s vinery Mazzei, I have managed a consulting company in the food and wine field since August 2016, carrying out training projects, cooking, wine tasting, evening events, and direct advice for Italian restaurants, bars and food in Sweden. In addition, in the last years I have participated in several national and international competitions as bartender.