Congusto Gourmet

What Congusto Gourmet does

Congusto Institute, operated by Gourmet Institute S.r.l. and marketed as Congusto Gourmet, is a Milan-based professional culinary training school founded in 2003 by Federico Lorefice and Daniel Stoico. The company delivers vocational and recreational culinary education from a 1,500 sqm campus in the Dergano district of Milan (Via Bernardo Davanzati 15) containing five professional culinary labs, supported by a legal registered office at Via Brera 8. Congusto serves five distinct customer segments — aspiring culinary professionals (primary), enthusiast home cooks, corporate clients, international students, and hospitality service professionals — across five product lines: (1) four 10–16 week Alta Formazione professional courses in cooking, pastry, baking, and restaurant management priced €2,900–€11,800; (2) three master programs (Master in Arti Bianche €13,500, Master Polispecialistico in Arti Gastronomiche €22,900, Master in Fermentazione Alimentare €590); (3) two English-language international programs (Italian Culinary Program €15,900, Italian Pastry & Bakery Program €9,900); (4) amateur single-session and multi-session recreational cooking courses priced €129–€799 sold via Shopify e-commerce; and (5) corporate services including team building experiences (€145–€235 + VAT per participant), venue rental, and private lessons. The school is accredited by Regione Lombardia (Sez. B n. 891) and certified UNI EN ISO 9001:2015 (Certificate ER-0284), enabling it to issue legally recognized EQF qualifications and the regional abilitazione panificatore.

The underlying technology is intentionally non-digital: Congusto's core technology is hands-on kitchen-based instruction rather than software or digital products. The company monetizes through direct admissions for professional programs (inquiry form, Calendly orientation consultation, Open Day events with €500 enrollment discount, formal application), self-serve e-commerce for amateur courses and gift cards, and direct corporate sales for team building and venue rental. Revenue is also supported by the Intesa Sanpaolo Prestito Per Merito financing channel (loans up to €30,000 with no collateral and deferred repayment) and the Congusto Talent Fund (€25,000 scholarship allocation for September 2026). Faculty is drawn from active industry professionals including Roberto Carcangiu (President of APCI) as Educational Director and Marco Pedron (former Head Pastry Chef at Cracco in Galleria) as Director of Pastry Arts, supplemented by a rotating roster of Michelin-recognized and fine-dining visiting chefs. Operational scale signals include 20,000+ alumni trained since 2003, a 95% graduate placement rate within 6 months, an 80+ partner restaurant and luxury hotel internship network (Cracco, Nobu, Mandarin Oriental Milan, Marchesi 1824, Princi, Knam, Davide Longoni, and others), closed-enrollment classes capped at 12 students, and the 33rd edition of the Professional Cooking Course plus the 30th edition of the Professional Pastry Course. Congusto operates within the Italian Gourmet publishing ecosystem and holds the registered Congusto® trademark.

Name

Congusto Gourmet

Legal name

Gourmet Institute S.r.l.

Website

https://congusto.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Congusto Institute is a Milan-based professional culinary training school founded in 2003, offering vocational courses, master programs, international programs, amateur classes, and corporate team building experiences delivered from a 1,500 sqm Dergano campus. It serves aspiring chefs, enthusiast home cooks, corporates, and international students with ISO 9001 and Regione Lombardia accreditation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Culinary Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional Culinary Arts (Chef Training) (EDAOAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Culinary Arts & Cooking (Baking, Pastry, Global Cuisines) (EDAAAGAG), Culinary Skills Workshops (Baking, Regional Cooking, Food Prep Skills) (THAJAKAE)

Keywords

• Culinary arts education
• Professional cooking school
• Pastry and baking training
• Corporate team building
• Vocational culinary training

Headquarters

HQ city

Dueville

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Professional Course Tuition: Full-tuition programs for Alta Formazione (cooking, pastry, baking, restaurant management) and Master programs. Tuition ranges from €2,900 to €22,900 depending on program and duration. Payment plans available including Prestito Per Merito financing through Intesa Sanpaolo.
2. Amateur Cooking Courses: Single-session and multi-session recreational cooking classes sold via e-commerce platform. Prices from €129 to €799 per course. Includes gift card sales.
3. Corporate Team Building: Cooking team building events for businesses, priced per participant from €145 to €235 + VAT. Group sizes from 10 to 50 people. Optional services include customized aprons, meeting room rental, coffee breaks.
4. Scholarship Fund Administration: Congusto Talent Fund: a €25,000 scholarship fund offering up to €2,500 per student for Alta Formazione and Master programs (session September 2026, applications closing August 10, 2026).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Congusto Gourmet (legally Gourmet Institute S.r.l.) is a culinary school based in Milan, Italy, founded in 2003. It delivers professional culinary training (cuisine, pastry, bakery, dining room and banqueting), advanced master programs, English-language programs for international students, amateur hands-on cooking classes for hobbyists, and corporate team-building cooking experiences for businesses.

Product overview

Congusto Institute operates as a single-brand cooking school with a portfolio of five core product lines: (1) Professional Courses in Cooking, Pastry, Baking, and Restaurant Management (4 products, 16–16 weeks each, €2,900–€11,800); (2) Master Programs including the Master in White Arts, the Master Polispecialistico in Gastronomic Arts, and the Master in Food Fermentation (3 products, €590–€22,900); (3) International Programs for English-speaking students (Italian Culinary Program at €15,900 and Italian Pastry and Bakery Program at €9,900); (4) Amateur Courses covering cooking, pastry, couple cooking, seafood, street food, and savory pastry (7 named single-lesson or multi-session courses, €129–€799); and (5) Business/Corporate Services including team building experiences (3 pricing tiers: Small Team €145, Signature €160–175, Executive €235 per person), venue rental, private lessons, and a scholarship fund (Talent Fund up to €2,500 per student). The school also sells Gift Cards (from €129). The portfolio ranges from full-time professional qualifications with guaranteed internships to single-session recreational experiences, serving both Italian and international students in Milan since 2003.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Alta Formazione Cucina (Professional Culinary Course)
• Alta Formazione Pasticceria (Professional Pastry Course)
• Alta Formazione Panificazione (Professional Bakery Course)
• Alta Formazione Sala e Banqueting (Dining Room & Banqueting)
• Master Polispecialistico in Arti Gastronomiche
• Master in Arti Bianche
• Master in Fermentazione Alimentare
• Italian Culinary Program
• Italian Pastry and Bakery Program
• Amateur Cooking and Pastry Classes
• Team Building Cooking Experiences
• Private / Tailor-Made Lessons
• Venue and Space Rental
• Congusto Gift Card
• Congusto Talent Fund (Borse di Studio)

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of graduates find work within 6 months of completing the professional program
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers24 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, moderate and core.

• GarofalominorOthersPasta brand partner providing product support for culinary training programs.
• KitchenAidmoderateOthersEquipment partner. KitchenAid provides professional-grade kitchen appliances for the campus labs. Master in Arti Bianche students receive a Planetaria KitchenAid as part of the program tuition.
• Petra (Farina Petra)minorOthersSpecialty flour brand partner for baking and culinary programs.
• OlitaliaminorOthersOlive oil partner providing oils and condiments for culinary training.
• Acqua ValverdeminorOthersWater brand partner for campus operations and training.
• Consorzio VirgiliominorOthersCheese consortium partner, providing quality Italian cheese products for training.
• JRE Italia (Jeunes Restaurateurs d'Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJRE Italia is a premier association of young European chefs. Congusto collaborates with JRE Italia for professional training, industry events, and student exposure to top-level culinary professionals.
• Italian GourmetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian Gourmet is the publishing ecosystem that Congusto is part of. Provides access to professional food media (Il Pasticcere e Gelatiere Italiano, Il Panificatore Italiano, Grande Cucina), a library of resources for students, and a broad industry network.
• BertiminorOthersKnife and equipment brand partner for culinary training.
• Various restaurant and hotel partners for internships (80+)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCongusto has 80+ partner restaurants and luxury hotels in Italy and internationally where students complete mandatory internships. Key named partners include: Cracco Galleria, Nobu, Mandarin Oriental Milan, Marriott Milan, Marchesi 1824, Albereta, Aprea, Bür, Ceresio 7, Crosta, Davide Longoni, Knam, Pavé, Princi, Ratanà, Sine, and others.
• Corporate team building clientsminorOthersCompanies that have conducted team building events at Congusto include multinationals, luxury brands, and pharmaceutical companies. Named clients include Politecnico di Milano, Prismian, Pomellato, and others shown in client logos on the team building page.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Gambero Rosso Academy: Rome-based culinary training academy operated by the Gambero Rosso food media brand. Offers professional courses in cooking, pastry, and wine targeting Italian career-track students — directly comparable to Congusto's professional curriculum and Made-in-Italy positioning.
• CAST Alimenti!: Brescia-based Italian culinary training school focused on cooking, pastry, bakery, and gelato. CAST Alimenti! competes head-to-head with Congusto in northern Italy for aspiring professional chefs and offers comparable vocational courses with internship placement.
• ALMA - La Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana: Italy's flagship professional culinary school in Colorno (Parma), offering diploma and master programs in Italian cuisine, pastry, and baking. ALMA is the most direct domestic competitor to Congusto, targeting the same career-track students with similar tuition tiers and internship-driven placement models.
• Apicius - Università degli Studi di Firenze: Florence-based culinary arts school affiliated with the University of Florence, offering degree-bearing programs in food and wine studies. Competes with Congusto for Italian and international students seeking credentialed culinary education in Italy.

Broad incumbents

• Culinary Institute of America (CIA): Premier US-based professional culinary school with multiple campuses and degree programs. The CIA competes with Congusto primarily for international students seeking globally credentialed culinary training and operates at substantially larger scale.
• Le Cordon Bleu: Globally recognized culinary institute with campuses across Europe, North America, Asia, and Latin America. Le Cordon Bleu operates at significantly larger scale and brand reach, competing with Congusto particularly for international students via its Paris and London campuses.
• ICE - Institute of Culinary Education: New York-based professional culinary school offering diploma and degree programs with strong career placement outcomes. Comparable to Congusto in professional training model and outcome metrics, though operating primarily in the US market.

Regional players

• Basque Culinary Center: San Sebastián-based culinary school affiliated with Mondragon University, focused on gastronomy, innovation, and research. Comparable to Congusto in professional culinary training but operates in a different European geography and emphasizes food innovation and entrepreneurship.
• Escuela de Hostelería y Turismo de Madrid: Madrid-based hospitality and culinary school offering professional cooking and pastry programs. Comparable to Congusto in curriculum structure and target audience, but primarily serves the Spanish/Iberian market.

Others

• Identità Golose (Hub/Conference): Premier Italian culinary conference and media brand where Congusto participates as a thought leader. Not a direct competitor but a key ecosystem player that shapes the Italian fine-dining talent pipeline and brand visibility for culinary schools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/campuscongusto
• LinkedInit.linkedin.com/school/campuscongusto
• Instagraminstagram.com/congustoinstitute

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Congusto Gourmet