project

«I am particularly proud of this project which has materialised in association with the Andrea Berti cutlery works in Scarperia, a small town in the Tuscan Apennines near Florence with an ancient cutlery tradition. The craftsmen employed by Andrea are outstanding at what they do, and they work with passion, a rare commodity in the industrial world of today. A single worker oversees the complete production cycle of the knife entrusted to him, from the forging of the blade to the details of the handle. Indeed, each blade contains the initials of the person who manufactured it. We have worked hard and with enthusiasm, as have the designers, whose great labours have functioned as both a technical and cultural link». Alberto Alessi «The flavours and perfumes of the cheeses change as you move from the edge of the form towards the centre. In order to savour the entire variety of flavours that the cheese contains, you require proper blades for each type of crust hardness and for each texture of the cheese. The ergonomic handles are made of boxwood, an evergreen shrub that grows slowly and with deep roots. “La Via Lattea” consists of four specialist Knives: one for hard cheese, one for semi-hard cheese, one for soft cheese and one for semi-soft cheese, plus a Fork for hard and semi-hard cheeses and a Server for soft and semi-soft cheeses. A holder in a double-thickness fabric of heavy cotton, ensures the best conditions for the safe preservation of these precious hand-made blades from Scarperia. The set is rounded off with the Guide to cutting and tasting 35 Italian cheeses of Protected Designation of Origin and some excellent European cheeses». Anna and Gian Franco Gasparini