The Gastronomy of Emilia Romagna
Thursday, 19th March 2026
An illustrated talk by Valentina Harris
Our speaker, Valentina Harris, will tell us about the culinary traditions of Ravenna and the region of Emilia Romagna, which is considered by many to be the heart of Italian gastronomy.
With heritage like Valentina’s, it is no wonder she is such a well-respected authority on Italian food and food culture. Tracing her family back to 1369 through the illustrious Sforza dynasty, Valentina is the youngest member of a large Anglo-Italian family of gourmets.
Educated in Italy, Valentina brought her qualifications for teaching and cooking from Rome to London in 1976, where she built her reputation primarily as a private chef until the publication of her first successful cookery book in 1984: Perfect Pasta.
Now the award winning author of over 40 books on Italian food, Valentina is an experienced and enthusiastic teacher and chef, sharing her food philosophy of seasonal local produce served with minimum fuss and maximum care. She is the host and expert guide for many culinary tours in various regions of Italy, working with some of the UK’s top tour operators, and a regular face at food festivals across the UK. Valentina still finds time to write one book per year, teach at some of the UK’s best loved cookery schools, and give entertaining and insightful talks on her favourite subject. She organises bespoke cookery courses and undertakes private catering commissions, and you may also find her popping up on radio and television from time to time!
The event will commence at 7:30pm at
Assembly Room, Council House, North Street, Chichester
Prices: £10 members and £12 non members
We welcome payment via BACS, to Friends of Ravenna, Barclays Bank, Sort code 20-20-62, account No. 73194604. Please put ‘Valentina’ in the reference area when you make your payment If you prefer to pay by cheque, please send it to ‘The Treasurer’, 9 Dolphin Court, Bognor Regis. PO21 1TP
Enjoy light refreshments and time to chat after the talk
Please book and pay by Saturday 14 March so that we have numbers for catering purposes.