Who is Martina?
I am a traveler. I was always all over the place and never wanted to stop. After a trip to Australia my mum told me that if I didn’t start studying at that time, I would have never done it. Therefore, I decided to enroll in the faculty of History in Milan. I thought my goal was to become a journalist as my parents, however after a few months I was bored to death and understood that it wasn’t the right path for me.
Since I was young, I always worked in the hospitality industry, therefore I decided to work for a restaurant, and understood that it was a cool environment to be in. While working I found out about the University of Gastronomic Sciences and later on, I chose to study in Pollenzo to further deepen my knowledge about food.
How Tipografia Alimentare was born?
The idea of Tipografia Alimentare was born in 2017. My ex-boyfriend and I just graduated from University, back then we were in Sicily for the olive harvest, with no money and a great confusion about our future. My mum just quit her job as a journalist and she received a severance payment, but she felt too young to retire and didn’t know what to do with those money. Thus, she asked us to help her out. Her dream has always been to open a café where she would serve coffee to “Sciure” (in Milanese dialect it refers to elegant ladies), however this concept didn’t represent me.
I remember brainstorming about the kind of concept we wanted to develop, and by accident “Tipografia Alimentare” was born.
How would you define Tipografia Alimentare?
I would define TipA as a bistrot, even if I don’t particularly like this world.
I created a place that mirrored my needs. I am passionate about natural wines, but I also enjoy filtered coffee and small plates. Therefore, we created a place that would offer you high quality food and wine for every occasion.
What are the principles of Tipografia Alimentare?
We are lucky to have a team of people that deeply believes in what they do, people that turned a philosophy into their lifestyle.
Our cuisine is mainly plant-based and almost zero waste. The meat we order comes from selected sustainable producers, we do not order single cuts of meat but we buy the entire animal, which we cook in various ways, avoiding waste.
How do you manage food waste in Tipografia Alimentare?
Fortunately, we are almost a zero-waste kitchen, as we try to reuse all the leftovers for other preparations. For example, the leftovers of meat and vegetables are used to make stocks. Meanwhile, we use the sourdough bread leftovers for different purposes, for example we either turn it into croutons for soups or ferment it into miso if it is very dry.
How did you select your staff?
They say it’s hard to find the right people to work with, but I was lucky to build a community in which we share the same ideals.
We are a team of 15 people and the majority of them were spontaneous candidates. I am aware about the importance of their wellness and I always pay extra hours (which is unfortunately uncommon in hospitality).
What is a recipe that represents you?
“La pasta al forno con le polpettine della zia” (my aunt’s baked pasta with meatballs).
It is the recipe for “a happy family”. I remember my aunt would prepare this dish every year for Christmas and it had a magic power to bring happiness and joy to all the family.
I never particularly enjoyed cooking, but I was always lucky to surround myself of amazing cooks that would prepare incredible food for me. Nevertheless, I am “the queen of brunch” and on Sundays I enjoy putting a lot of effort in preparing it!
What are the major issues in the hospitality industry in Italy?
The hospitality industry should change at two levels.
On a macro-level, governments should create specific working contracts for people working in restaurants, meanwhile we now have to use “office contracts” keeping track of the exact working hours, which is a hard task as shifts change every day. The extremely high taxes are causing restaurant owners to have a hard time making ends meet.
On a micro-level, employees need to be more demanding and get together to fight for their rights. After the pandemic of Covid-19, employees realized that it was not possible to work crazy hours non-stop, having a burnout almost every month. Therefore, when applying for jobs people are now expecting more flexibility from their bosses and a more pleasant working environment.
I believe the Italian government should support more entrepreneurs that like me, that are trying to develop a “healthy business model”, where employees are treated right and paid when they work extra-hours.
How does it feel to be a woman in such a male-dominated environment?
I am a feminist and very meticulous person, therefore if there is a problem related to gender, I would rather discuss about it and sort it out straight away. However, sometimes it happens that male clients in their middle-age take for granted that the owner of Tipografia Alimentare is a man (usually the chef) or turn to my male colleagues to ask for advice about the wine list. To be honest, when this happens, I don’t really care!
What is the future of Tipografia Alimentare? Where do you see yourself in the future?
This a hot topic! I don’t know yet what will be the future. I have an idea of opening a new bistrot to achieve an economy of scale.
During these four years I realised that I am not a very patient person, however I enjoy being a leader and manage a team of people.
What are your three favorite spots in Milan?
To drink: I enjoy going with my friends to Enoteca Naturale.
To eat: For a romantic occasion (or not) I like to go to Frangente. They make amazing tortellini!
Street food: Macelleria Popolare is the place to go to. It is a butcher, but also a street food spot where you can have different and peculiar cuts of meat (organic and only grass fed of course!).