Executive Chef, Barilla, Asia Pacific
Fluent in five languages and having worked in Italy, USA, France, China, Japan and Australia, Barilla’s Regional Executive Chef, Andrea Tranchero, brings with him invaluable experience from the global stage. Lured into the culinary world at an early age, and with his career now spanning over 30 years, Andrea has developed his own unique flair for Italian cuisine.
Originally from the Northern Italian region of Piedmont, Andrea says memories of his mother’s Spaghetti with Chilli Oil still make his mouth water. His passion for traditional Italian cuisine has reinforced his commitment to creating nutritious recipes using fresh seasonal ingredients wherever possible.
Andrea graduated from Istituto Professionale Alberghiero di Stato (Culinary Institute of Italy) and at just 22, turned down an exclusive position as Head Chef of Italy’s Grand Hotel Sitea to pursue a career opportunity in Japan. After his short stint in Tokyo, he returned to Italy to work in some of the best Michelin Star restaurants, including 3 Michelin Stars Ristorante ‘Al Sorriso’, 2 Michelin Stars Sadler Restaurant, and 1 Michelin Star Ristorante ‘Baia Benjamin.
However, his love for Japan brought him back to the country, where he continued to refine his culinary skills before ultimately overseeing the cooking operations of Armani Ristorante in Tokyo. During this time, Andrea had the opportunity to cook for famous personalities such as Virgin Group’s Richard Branson, the ex-President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, and fashion designer, Giorgio Armani.
Andrea has garnered many accolades over the years, including the prestigious Star Diamond Award from The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences. He was bestowed this award after an illustrious decade-long career in Japan, receiving recognition for being ‘One of the Finest Chefs Worldwide’.
In 2011, after a year in Beijing, Andrea moved to Perth, where he fell in love with Australia’s ‘great outdoors. It was here, as Head of Crown’s Modo Mio Restaurant, that he was selected to represent Australia in Academia Barilla’s World Pasta Championships in 2012 and 2013, reaching the semi-finals in both years.
Andrea has been a part of Barilla since 2014. Having first joined as Executive Chef for Barilla Australia and New Zealand, Andrea displayed his talents at Food Shows and Master Classes across the country. He also played an instrumental role in Barilla’s pop-up restaurant at the 2018 & 2019 editions of Australian Open; in 2020 in the restaurant were served more than 16,000 pasta dishes for tennis fans to enjoy.
Currently based in Singapore since 2018, Andrea now manages markets in Asia Pacific for Barilla.
In December 2021, Andrea he was awarded with “Collari Collegium Cocorum”, the prestigious honor for professional merit conferred by the Italian Federation of Chefs (F.I.C).