Gino D’A Campo A short biography

Gino has turned things around. From the boy who cleaned the pizza oven in Naples to the food manager at a Pavarotti reception, the direction of his young life’s journey so far could have been very different…..

Born into a poor Neapolitan family, Gino inherited his grandfather’s (a head chef) love of cooking and entered the Luigi de Medici Catering College at the age of fifteen. He continued to develop his skills through the kitchens of restaurants in Europe, including Perignon in Nice and a spell as Head Chef at Sylvester Stallone’s Mambo King in Marbella (aged 19) before coming to England the following year.

Here, he took on Head Chef assignments in London restaurants- including Pane Vino and The Orchard in Belsize Park- before joining a major Italian food company as Development Chef.

Gino now owns his own import and distribution company, Bonta Italia, and continues as development consultant chef for ready-meals manufacturing companies.

His particular skill in the blending of olive oil led to his first TV engagement with UK Food as a guest on Good Food Live. Such was his immediate success that, besides making frequent appearances as studio guest chef, he became a featured co-presenter.

BBC TV soon took notice of his natural ability and regular appearances on BBC 2’s leading food programme Saturday Kitchen quickly followed. 2004 also saw Gino’s first appearances on BBC 2’s prestigious Ready Steady Cook, where he has become a firm favourite.