How Michelin-Starred Chef Massimo Bottura is Turning Food into Hope with His Refettorio Movement

For Bottura, these meals are a reminder that everyone deserves beauty and respect—no matter their background. “They are going to come in and be completely disoriented because they're not used to beautiful places like this,” he explains. “But once they're here, they realize that this place is their place. It’s not my place.”

With Food for Soul, Bottura and his wife, Lara Gilmore, have built 14 Refettorios worldwide, from Milan to Sydney, with each one transforming a neglected building into a communal dining hall, designed in collaboration with artists and architects. The aim is simple but profound: create spaces where people in socially vulnerable situations can gather for nourishing meals and feel a renewed sense of belonging. Alice Waters calls it “radical generosity,” noting that the root of "refettorio" means “a place where one is restored”—a fitting description for spaces that nurture both body and soul.

Bottura’s reach extends beyond these dining halls. As a United Nations Environment Programme Goodwill Ambassador, he recently spoke at the UN General Assembly, highlighting how chefs can lead the way toward a sustainable food system. “We are no longer just cooks. We are guardians of our planet and stewards of our food system,” he says. At the Refettorio Sydney, 250 tons of food are saved from landfill weekly, turned into creative, plant-based dishes that inspire people to rethink what we label as “waste.”

Bottura’s philosophy goes beyond fighting hunger; it’s about fostering community. In San Francisco, he opened a Refettorio during the pandemic, teaching culinary skills to vulnerable residents and distributing meals to those in need. For him, this work isn’t just about providing food—it’s a pathway to resilience and empowerment.

And his dream doesn’t stop there. Bottura envisions a world with a thousand Refettorios, each one turning surplus food into something precious. “The most amazing and important thing is to take care of people who don’t have anything,” he says. Bottura’s work reminds us all that food is much more than sustenance—it’s love, respect, and a foundation for a better world.