illycaffè Appoints Green Michelin Star Chef, Chantelle Nicholson, as UK Chef Ambassador for 2023

June 12th, 2023 – illycaffè, the global leader in high-quality sustainable coffee, is delighted to announce the appointment of multi-award-winning, Michelin Green Star chef and owner of Apricity in Mayfair, Chantelle Nicholson, as illy’s first UK Chef Ambassador.

With a mutual passion for the finest gastronomy alongside spearheading environmental innovations within the hospitality industry, illy and Chantelle will partner across a number of exciting initiatives across 2023. The partnership will launch at Taste of London, with an exciting programme of delicious cooking demonstrations and panel discussion around the future of sustainability in hospitality.

“Chantelle has long impressed with her creativity and commitment to progressing sustainable practice alongside the finest gastronomy. Without compromise, Chantelle and illy aim to maintain a best-in-class gastronomic experience whilst working with nature and championing regenerative agriculture” said Cristina Scocchia, illycaffè CEO. “We are delighted that Chantelle joins our Ambassador Chef family, as the company’s first UK Chef since we launched the programme in 2015 and are looking forward to an exciting year ahead.”

A producer of 100% sustainable coffee and with a commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2033, family-owned illy has long led on environmentally responsible innovations within the industry. Committed to supporting, investing and celebrating the coffee communities it partners with, illy enjoys a direct trade model across its full supply chain, ensuring transparency, consistency and collaboration. In 2011, illy was the first coffee company to be awarded a certification for its entire supply chain, in 2021, it was the first Italian company in its sector to be certified as BCorp and is proud to have been celebrated as A World’s Most Ethical Company for the last 11 years, consecutively.

Awarded a Green Michelin star this year, Chantelle Nicholson is one of the UK’s leading female names in the hospitality industry. An advocate for seasonality, sustainability and championing veg-forward cooking, Chantelle is a source of inspiration to hospitality professionals across the UK. Symbolising regeneration, warmth, generosity and light, Apricity continues Chantelle’s commitment to running a socially conscious endeavour with her team of innovative and like-minded people.

Chef Chantelle Nicholson comments: “I’m delighted to be partnering with a like-minded brand that’s committed to quality, taste and striving for better practices. To have the opportunity to create a bespoke illy blend is an exciting prospect and will make for a unique addition to our coffee offering at Apricity.” 

Within the partnership, Chantelle and illycaffé’s master blenders will collaborate on a bespoke personal coffee blend that combines illycaffé’s nine monoarabica blends at the illy University of Coffee in Trieste, according to Chantelle’s own style, sensory preferences and taste. This bespoke blend will be available for consumers to enjoy at Apricity alongside the restaurant’s seasonal menu, highlighting the synergy between the two companies as they showcase excellence in gastronomy and sustainability.

illycaffé’s Ambassador Chef Partnership initiative, which launched in 2015 is a unique and distinctive project within which, illy is proud to collaborate with some of the world’s most exceptional chefs. Chefs are invited across two categories; the illy Masters of Excellence, of great starred Chefs and since 2021, where illy was the first company to support Michelin’s new Green Star initiative, Sustainable Chefs, to whom the Michelin guide has awarded a Michelin Green Star.  The project has created a series of personal blends, each one unique, styled by the taste profile of each Ambassador.