Seta’s commitment is at the heart of a journey that in just a few years has seen Chef Antonio Guida and the brigade of the award-winning restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental, Milan achieve an internal balance between respect, environmental and labor protection, and an offering of the highest level of dining.
For Seta by Antonio Guida, in fact, sustainability is not just a word but a very specific commitment that affects every aspect of the restaurant, following the same guidelines dictated and applied by the Mandarin Oriental Group. Beginning with the choice of suppliers, all of whom were selected thanks to the personal work of chef Antonio Guida, who brought together a parterre of excellent small and medium producers in the area.
Of great importance is the choice to collaborate exclusively with companies with a traced supply chain, which is combined with the 360-degree no-waste, with the use of sustainable materials in the kitchen and the choice to abandon all disposable plastic. A constant work of dedication aimed at environmental protection as well as guest care and the development of gastronomic art.
“For the chef, respect for the food and the cuisine is absolute,” says Federico dell’Omarino, sous-chef at Seta, “For the product and the care of the product, as well as for the guest, that comes first. You create identity only by trying to be yourself.”
And for Antonio Guida, being himself means personally taking care of the search for the best raw materials to use in the kitchen. But it also means taking care of the well-being of his work team and, at the same time, succeeding in creating a perennial virtuous circle, involving all the productive and non-productive aspects of fine-dining excellence in the Milanese scene and beyond.
Attention to each other and respect for the work of the group are also perceived by guests; it is no coincidence that at Seta the Chef’s Table faces directly onto the kitchen, half a meter from the brigade, which is a virtuous example of synchrony, empathy, fluidity and composure.
Seta by Antonio Guida: the suppliers
“We are working a lot on sustainable fisheries,” the sous-chef continues, “and the same goes for meat, working with direct breeders, small producers and distributors who provide us with raw material from sustainable farms.”
Among Seta’s suppliers are also wild herb gatherers and small businesses in Lombardy that prefer biodynamic and organic: for eggs, the selected company is, for example, a small free-range, semi-wild state hen breeder, attentive not only to the physical health of the animals but also to their nutrition and non-caged existence.
Following the Group’s guidelines, Seta is also particularly sensitive toward sourcing a range of products such as coffee, tea, vanilla, cocoa and seafood. To ensure they are sourced from ethical companies, with precise certifications on their standards of fairness, equity and sustainability are always required.
Seta by Antonio Guida: the No Waste philosophy
A commitment that is fundamental to Seta, and in particular to chef Antonio Guida, is the practice of not wasting any raw material, or any part of the animal, but rather ennobling it into stand-alone creations or technical support to the dishes, such as sauces, grounds, reductions or broths.
One example is chicken: “Our policy is to use all the parts of the chicken that we buy whole. The breast is cooked for the menu at Seta, while the thigh serves the Mandarin Garden, the bar & restaurant of the Mandarin Oriental, Milan; with the carcasses we make broths and grounds, with the entrails we make liver pate or other preparations.”
Even with fish, nothing is thrown away: fillets are served at the bistro as well as at Seta, and with the bones and heads, stew is a must. Great attention is also paid to the choice of detergents to be used in the kitchen as well as on the countertops, which are strictly ecological.