Peter's Story

Life in this little corner of paradise moves at its own pace, the world comes to Positano, it basks in its stunning views, savours the flavours of the traditional dishes and explores the coves and beaches that dot our coastline. The echoes of legend from Greek and Roman times are still very much felt, this is the place where I grew up as a child. I had the privilege and good fortune to have been born into a family of mixed background, my mother is British and my father Italian, I was born in England and moved to southern Italy when I was still a very small boy, I lived a life of adventure, experiences and incredible freedom.

My dad was a fisherman like his father before him, I spent many years of my life going out to sea with him, my uncle and grandfather. I learnt how to fish, how to use fishing nets, crab and lobster pots, hooks, fishing lines, captain boats, it was an incredible childhood, one in which I evolved and grew to understand the importance of the natural cycles of life. It was in this journey that I also came to love and appreciate the deep aromas and flavours that my Italian Grandmother created in her kitchen. I was incredibly fortunate to have been brought up in a family that cooked every day. The scents of freshly baked bread would mix in the air with the aromas of a Sunday roast, baked pasta or that of my grandmother’s wood oven.

As I grew into the man that I am today, I travelled extensively, working in different parts of the globe while coming into contact with diverse cultures. This expanded my intellectual knowledge of the diverse cuisines of the world, allowing me to dwell deeper in to the meaning of what food is all about and the reasons that led me to make the choices I made in building my current venue. The experiences that I have as a child, the clean, wide and captivating flavours and aromas of that childhood have led me to create the kitchen that I have always wanted.

I learnt how to appreciate the incredible hard work that goes into farming, what artisan work is all about, the unique and incredibly diverse cultural background that Italy has from the northern parts of it’s borders all the way down it’s long peninsular to its southern reaches as well as the islands that dot its beautiful coastline, especially Sardinia and Sicily. I uncovered a whole world of tastes, traditions, ways of life that were unknown to me. I rejoiced in breaking bread with families from all over Italy that were directly invested in agriculture, cheese making, baking, farming their land without using pesticides, eating directly from Mother Nature’s pantry, savouring each bite as the flavours unfolded and grew.

If I have learnt anything during these years of personal growth which are of value, I would say that understanding biodiversity and the importance of mindfulness in choosing the foods and ways of life that will both nourish and sustain us is of fundamental importance. When I created Positano Home Cooking I did so with these core values in mind and it is my wish to be able to welcome you in a setting where you will be able to enjoy real food, prepared with care, love and passion, because anything less would be a complete negation of the all the hard work that it took to create the amazing ingredients that I use in my kitchen.

It is my wish to share with you my recipes, the food and wines that I enjoyed growing up, the incredible flavour profiles that expanded my culinary world and led me to where I am today, you are all welcome at my table, come and feast and celebrate life.