Fritto started because it was meant to start, or so one of its founder will tell you. Going with the flow of events, three Italians that met in the climbing gym of Mount Maunganui, started their adventure on wheels in May 2023. United by the love of food, piling tons of experience in hospitality and events, the trio had the perfect occasion of re-purposing a friend’s trailer into a small kitchen on wheels. Add a dash of Amalfi blue, an Italian flag and the aroma of perfectly fried arancini and you get two square meters of Italy, right here in the Bay of Plenty.

The team

Stefano: born and raised just outside Milan, Stefano is a trained banquette and hotel chef, with experience in Italy, Spain, France, Australia and of course New Zealand. In 2023 he launched his own cooking classes brand, Autentico.

Federico: born in the outskirt of Bologna, Federico grow up eating some of the best food Italy has to offer. He started working in food markets from a young age, but he never stepped into the kitchen. After working in events and in the sport industry, he left home to travel to Australia settling eventually across the ditch, in the beautiful Mount Maunganui.

More on this article on Our Place magazine: Fritto on Our Place Magazine