School of innovation
The training school for food professionals.
A crucial element for the growth of each business is to invest in training: this is the main purpose of our school, ‘Unica’. Created within Unigrà, it’s the training school for food professionals from all over the world.
Unica is the result of the union between Italian and foreign professionals working at Unigrà’s R&D department. Starting from a thorough knowledge of ingredients and the best technical expertise, the school aims at bringing a new innovative input in the food industry.
From chocolate to bakery, from gelato to cooking, going through pastry, the courses available mean to provide concrete answers to the issues that the professional may be dealing with.
The courses have different levels of difficulty, in order to allow anybody to join the one best suited to their interests and skills.
Excellence Masters
One of the Unica’s showpieces is the teaching staff, including absolute excellence masters.
They will bring the attending professionals to master the most innovative techniques as well as to understand the latest market trends, with a national and international perspective.
Manuel Baima
Master pastry chef — In Italy, he worked with chefs like Andrea Zanin, Luca Landi and Andrea Berton. Then he went out to conquer the world: Spain, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, until getting to Dubai in 2013, alongside Enrico Derflingher, with whom he worked in his Taipei restaurant. Winner of the Gelato Cup at the Italian Cuisine World Summit, in 2020 he worked as Executive Pastry Chef of the Skelmore Group team in Dubai. In 2021 he joined Unigrà’s technical team under the brand Master Martini.
Francesco Drudi
Master bakery chef — He started his career in the white art in 1987, at his family’s shop in Ravenna, where he stayed until 2000.
He worked with several pastry shops in Emilia Romagna, where he improved his pastry skills.
In 2008 he entered Unigrà as a technical demonstrator and in 2010 he became the Official Chef for Eastern Europe and the Far East. He came back to Italy in 2015 as a Master Martini technical demonstrator.
Nicola Musolino
Master pastry chef — Master pastry chef since 1975, he started his career working for several years at the pastry shops in Reggio Calabria. In 1994 he started a path as corporate technical demonstrator, by means of which he improved his pastry knowledge. In 2007 he joined Unigrà’s technical team under the brand Master Martini.
Felice Siccardi
Master pastry chef — After some experiences at pastry and chocolate shops in Piedmont, in 1990 he entered the Italian Gelato & Pastry Training Center at the Nortongate Marketing in Munich. In 1999 he stepped down from his office as the head of production at Artesina S.P.A. ‘Italian Pastry Atelier’ and joined the technical team of Master Martini.
Felice Nichilo
Master pastry chef — He started his career, from 2002 to 2006, at the pastry shop “San Pietro”, under the guidance of the AMPI Master Pantaleo Dell’Olio. In 2006 he began to work at the Pasticceria Rinaldini in Rimini. In 2008 he won the World Gelato Championship at the Sigep in Rimini, under the guidance of the same Master Rinaldini. In 2010 he started to work as a corporate pastry technician. In 2018 he joined the GLF technical team as a pastry chef.
Simone Valentino
Master pastry chef — Simone Valentino worked at his family’s bakery shop since his childhood. After completing the hotel school, he worked for some years in restaurants and tourist resorts in Salento, and in 2019 he left the family business to face the first experience at the Sigep, with Unigrà as a technical support. Then, he entered Unica as an apprentice. In 2021 he joined Unigrà’s technical team under the brand Master Martini.
Enrico Zolesi
Master bakery chef — He started his baker’s career at some bakery shops in La Spezia, from 1995 to 2007.
In 2007 he became corporate bakery technician, traveling around the world for major companies.
In 2017 he joined the GLF technical bakery team.
Emanuele Racconi
Master pastry chef — Born in Milan, with passion and dedication he specializes in leavened products and baked pastries, following many training courses with great Italian masters. Since 2013 he has been working at historic pastry shops and bakeries in Milan and then, in 2022, he joined the GLF Technical team as a baker.
Gabriele Piotto
Master pastry chef — Since 1998 he worked as a pastry technician for some professional food companies. In 2008 he joined Unigrà’s technical team under the brand Master Martini.
