How Pepi's helped bring our Reflections from Milan concept to life
At Valiant's Sydney Style Series, every detail was designed to immerse guests in the spirit of Milan. While the showroom drew inspiration from Milan Design Week through furniture, colour and styling, the menu became an equally important part of the experience.
Partnering with Pepi's, Valiant set out to create an authentic taste of Milan, combining Italian tradition with contemporary hospitality. Led by Director Joe Tarzia and General Manager Stefano Buongiovanni, whose experience living and working in Milan shaped the menu, every dish was selected to tell a story.
Inspired by Milan
For Stefano, creating the menu meant revisiting the flavours and traditions that define everyday life in Milan.
"Living and working in Milan gave me the opportunity to fully understand Milan's culinary culture," he explains. "It was a journey back into the past, bringing Milan's flavours and aromas back to life."
From a traditional Margherita cake reminiscent of home kitchens to a zabaglione and plumcake inspired by Milan's famous panettone, the menu celebrated authentic Milanese classics with a refined approach.
The theatre of Italian hospitality
One of the standout experiences was the live Pasta Stazione, where chefs hand rolled fresh tagliatelle throughout the event before finishing each plate with freshly shaved black truffle.
For Stefano, this wasn't simply a food station.
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"Hand rolling pasta is the essence of Italian cuisine, it breaks every boundary between the kitchen, service and guests, creating one shared experience."
Where food meets design
Throughout the Style Series - Sydney event, design and hospitality worked hand in hand.
Stefano sees many similarities between the two disciplines, believing both are centred around creating memorable experiences through thoughtful details.
"Good design communicates identity and meaning," he says. "Hospitality does exactly the same."
This thinking extended to the menu, where premium ingredients including black truffle, caviar and foie gras were served in approachable canapé formats, balancing luxury with warmth and generosity.
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A shared creative vision
For Pepi's, partnering with Valiant felt like a natural fit.
"We share the same direction regarding aesthetics, tradition and innovation," Stefano says. "Once we understood Valiant's vision, creating the menu became a natural flow of ideas."
Rather than simply catering the event, Pepi's became part of the creative process, ensuring the food reflected the same level of craftsmanship and storytelling found throughout the showroom.
Creating experiences people remember
At Valiant's Style Series - Sydney, every detail was designed to immerse guests in the spirit of Milan, with hospitality playing an essential role in bringing the concept to life. Together, Valiant and Pepi's created an experience where food became more than part of the event. It became part of the story.
When asked what he hoped guests would take away from the experience, Stefano's answer perfectly captured the essence of the collaboration:
"I hope they remember us, not as a team or as a premium Italian catering company, but as a family.”
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