ALDO BANS MOBILE PHONES AT HIS AWARD-WINNING DINING EXPERIENCE
Celebrity chef Aldo Zilli believes the food and hospitality industry has gone through a revolution because of social media.
He says because of constant social media activity, people are too worried about the way their food looks - rather than how it tastes.
And at CASA ZILLI where guests are entertained in two luxury heated pods on the grounds of his Surrey estate, the award-winning chef has banned diners from taking pictures until after his home-cooked food has been eaten.
“We don’t allow guests to take pictures of the food unless they ask permission, otherwise their phones are confiscated at the door,” he said.
"My philosophy is about coming with your friends for the service and having a fabulous meal and a great time.
“I just tell people to forget their phones and enjoy my food.
"Nobody has complained, we have grown-ups coming to dinner from all over the world and they love the experience.
"What becomes a talking point instead is the food, people discuss what they are eating and what is their favourite dish. When I go in afterwards and have a chat, then they can take pictures if they like -That's the Zilli experience."
Aldo has won a whole catalogue of awards and 5-star reviews since opening CASA ZILLI at his 12-acre pile near Redhill including Best Restaurant in the UK and Best Restaurant in Surrey in 2022 and 2023.
The concept has now become so popular he is considering rolling it out to hotels worldwide. A-list celebrities come from all over the world to dine with him and close friend and actress Dame Judi Dench, who lives in Surrey is a regular visitor.
Aldo, who has just been appointed brand ambassador for Mis Amigos, a popular British-flavoured Tequila, added: "I feel like I've got a little gem in the middle of nowhere and people are willing to travel to see me.
“We only operate on Fridays and Saturdays so the demand is very high as people love the Zilli experience. I do all the cooking for the weekend, so people know they are going to book and see me.
"What we do here is, it's not a restaurant, it's an experience. It is for people to come and enjoy and hang out like the old days in Soho.
"In the 1990s, Soho was like a village and everyone knew each other. People had breakfast, lunch and dinner with me. I had five restaurants and I could walk to all of them. It was a crazy idea but each individual restaurant had different foods. Everyone felt very safe coming into my restaurants and people like Freddie Mercury, George Michael, the McCartneys, Kate Moss, Prince Edward and Andrew Lloyd Webber were all regulars.
"We often had private parties which went on all night and what went on at Zilli's stayed at Zilli's! There was no one taking pictures on iPhones and posting on social media every five minutes! Things are a lot different now and people don't look like they are enjoying themselves anymore, they are just not talking to each other and staring into their phones."
At CASA ZILLI the menu has something for everyone. It changes seasonally, offering delights from a Taste of Italy Experience at £125 per person or from the Regional Menu. Home-cooked dishes include lobster ravioli in shellfish bisque, wild boar ravioli, Scottish fillet steak, slow-cooked lamb shank to a full range of vegan and dairy-free dishes, plus a children’s menu.
To complete the experience at Casa Zilli, Aldo also offers cookery master classes at £300 per person for those who wish to spend the day cooking alongside him. And guests fly in from all over the world, landing by helicopter on the grounds.
It’s a real family affair and Aldo's wife, actress and singer Nikki has also created the Casa Zilli homeware range with a collection of luxury scented candles and room diffusers that are inspired by the aromas and scents in the herb garden.
Aldo is always on the go and he’s written ten books, including two autobiographies.
He keeps fit by cycling and going to the gym for a workout every day and has been voted Best Restaurant in Surrey in 2022 and 2023 and Best Chef in the UK at the British Restaurants Awards. He also won the Best Chef Award in the Best Restaurant Awards in 2022 and a national award for Best Restaurant in 2023.
Aldo is always keen to experiment and after linking with the new brand Mis Amigos he started using tequila in his cooking and desserts with amazing results.
He revealed: “I've recently been made brand ambassador for Mis Amigos Tequila and we have that on our drinks list, also at the end of the meal people get to try our coffee tequila on ice when they come.
“One of my friends recommended I try this brand and I was blown away by the taste so much I decided to use them in my cooking.
“I make a tiramisu with it and with the strawberry version I make a strawberry panna cotta. We serve it with fresh strawberries soaked in Mis Amigos tequila. It's been a great success. I got my recipes straight away and I also add their 88 Vodka when I'm doing pasta with salmon. It's an old recipe but it's come back into fashion and it's very popular."
Behind the scenes Aldo does a huge amount of charity work and is a patron of Counterpoint UK and during lockdown delivered food to hospitals and homeless people in London. He has also helped raise funds for the Red Cross Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, Help a London Child, The Variety Club and Caudwell Children. When Also is not cooking at CASA ZILLI he has a lucrative consultancy business called ATOZ Food Consultancy Limited.
Aldo tends all of his 18 acres himself, growing a wonderful range of organic vegetables and herbs in the gardens. He refuses to employ any gardeners, finding the work therapeutic although he has treated himself to a large sit-on mower! And whenever he gets the opportunity he flies off to Italy to watch his son Rocco, 18, play football.
If you want to try Aldo’s dining experience you will need to book and order your food in advance and pay a non-refundable deposit so you are not disappointed.