Michele Novarese

From the CAST classroom to the podium at the Italian Championships

There is a precise moment when a passion stops being a dream and becomes a professional choice. For Michele Novarese, a very young chef from Borgo San Martino in the Monferrato area of Piedmont, that moment came after graduating from the “Sergio Ronco” Hotel School in Trino: the clear feeling that something was missing, that the technical foundations—stocks, sauces, understanding of cooking methods—were not yet solid enough. So he chose to invest in himself by enrolling in the Advanced Culinary Arts Program at CAST.

That decision changed the trajectory of his career. In September 2024, Michele completed the program: four months of in-person training in Brescia, followed by a four-month internship at the restaurant Piazza Duomo in Alba—three Michelin stars and one Green Star—led by Chef Enrico Crippa.

Since June 2025, he has joined the kitchen brigade as a commis, working first at the vegetable section and then at the hot starters section. Last February, he took part in the masterclass “Cultivating the future, dish after dish,” held at CAST by Enrico Crippa together with Antonio Ghilardi and Andrea Mastropietro. Also in February, from the 15th to the 17th, at the Rimini Fair, he competed in the Italian Cuisine Championships organized by the Italian Chefs Federation, in the K1 Hot Cooking Individual category, winning the bronze medal against 36 competitors.

We met him to hear about the path that led him, at just twenty years old last December, to already achieve significant results.

INTERVIEW

Where does your passion for cooking come from, and when did you realize it would become your profession?

My passion started when I was a child, cooking with my aunts during Christmas holidays or family gatherings. From there, something began that never stopped. I chose a hospitality high school, did internships and training placements, and at a certain point I realized it was the only thing I could truly do well and wanted to do for my whole life. In a profession like this, starting from genuine motivation makes all the difference.

After graduating from the hospitality school in Trino, you chose to invest in CAST’s Advanced Culinary Arts Program. What were you looking for, and what did you find?

I was already working before finishing school, but I felt I was missing the real foundations. For example, I didn’t understand why a stock was used in a certain way, or why one cooking technique was chosen over another. I wanted to understand the “why.” CAST gave me exactly that: understanding the logic behind every preparation. But also—and this was the unexpected part—the chance to experiment. At school there was a lesson to follow; at CAST I could instead try, make mistakes, and learn. It’s an approach that made me much more aware.

The Advanced Culinary Arts Program includes four months in class and four months of internship. Was there a moment during those eight months that changed your perspective on cooking?

In reality, there were two distinct moments. During the classroom phase at CAST, I started to change my vision: experimenting with things I had never done before opened up new perspectives. But the real turning point came during the internship. There I understood that I was learning something I would carry with me for life: the organizational method, the working method, the overall vision of a high-level restaurant. The two phases complement each other, and together they work perfectly.

Your internship took place at the restaurant Piazza Duomo in Alba, with three Michelin stars and one Green Star. What did you expect, and what surprised you?

I expected an extremely high level, but some things still surprised me. Above all, the almost obsessive organization of the brigade: there is a dedicated area exclusively for preparation, one for mise en place, and one for service—everything is divided with absolute precision. And then there is the vegetable and herbs section. That is something you only find there; it is the heart of Crippa’s cuisine. A station like that, with such extreme care for raw ingredients and seasonality, I don’t think exists in any other restaurant.

Last February you took part in the masterclass “Cultivating the future, dish after dish,” held at CAST by Enrico Crippa with Antonio Ghilardi and Andrea Mastropietro. Can you describe that experience?

I attended that masterclass as a spectator, and I have to say it was extraordinary. Enrico and Antonio talked about their years working with Gualtiero Marchesi, a fundamental starting point for understanding who Crippa is today, how he was formed, and how he built his vision over time. Then Enrico explained how Piazza Duomo evolved over the years and the development of the restaurant’s cuisine. Andrea, instead, opened a window onto the world of the garden: cultivation, innovations, seasonal experimentation. It was a three-voice narrative that gave meaning to everything I experience every day in the brigade.

Working side by side with Crippa, in his brigade, has it changed the way you think about a dish?

A lot, especially regarding the role of raw ingredients. Crippa has a dedicated garden; vegetables arrive extremely fresh every morning, sometimes even edible flowers, and the menu changes based on what is available that day. This taught me that a dish is born first and foremost from the raw ingredient. If you start with excellent ingredients and work them with method and professionalism, the result almost builds itself. It’s a vision that now guides the way I approach every preparation.

At the Italian Cuisine Championships in Rimini, you won bronze in the K1 Hot Cooking Individual category with your dish “The Sea Meets the Land.” How does a competition dish come to life?

It started as a challenge with myself. I developed it on my own, then I was helped by Andrea Serale, a young chef who is already part of the national team and competes internationally. Training with him helped me understand the dish’s flaws and improve it. The main element—the turbot fillet—was assigned by the competition; for the side components I had more freedom. I chose a creamy cauliflower, paired with a hazelnut-browned butter potato, and a tuile-based structure topped with a marinated prawn. But the dish was also designed around timing: I had 45 minutes, and every technical choice had to fit within that window. Simple, effective, executable under pressure.

You work in one of the most important restaurants in Italy, with very intense rhythms. How do you manage to balance professional and private life?

On my days off I go back home, spend time with my family, and relax with friends. I need to disconnect and recharge. But when there’s an interesting opportunity, like a masterclass or a culinary event that inspires me, I try not to miss it. So it’s never a complete detachment from work, but rather a balance I’ve learned to build. During peak season, days off become fewer, and you have to know how to manage that. It’s part of the job.

If you had to explain to a hospitality student about to graduate why they should choose an advanced training path like CAST, what would you say?

I would tell them to invest in themselves, as I did and as many others have done. The course gave me something that hands-on work alone cannot provide: knowledge and awareness. Not just techniques, but a deep understanding of the profession, contact with teachers who have high-level experience, and the opportunity to understand the world of all types of restaurants—from Michelin-starred to family-run ones. Then there is the internship: four months in a restaurant suited to me, thanks to the school’s network, is an opportunity not everyone gets. For me, it was a real springboard.

You are twenty years old, you have a bronze medal at the national championships, and a commis position in a three-Michelin-star restaurant. Where do you see yourself in five years?

It’s hard to picture an exact place, but the goal is clear: I want to keep learning in this environment and understand everything there is to know about high-level cuisine. Then, in ten years, I would like to have something of my own—a place, a personal project, running a kitchen with my own vision. It’s my long-term goal, and I work toward it every day.