Alberto Gipponi, known to many as “Il Gippo,” was born in Brescia on 18 February 1980. Before finding his true calling in the kitchen, he led a very different life. A former guitarist, he studied sociology after finishing secondary school and went on to work in education and social services — first as a university tutor and later as a consultant for the Municipality of Brescia and coordinator for a charitable organisation.

It wasn’t until later that he discovered what truly made his heart beat faster: cooking. In 2015, while still working in his previous field, he began his culinary journey with a weekend position at Orsone in Cividale del Friuli. The following year, he moved closer to home, joining the kitchen of Nadia in Castrezzato.

That same year, he won a local cooking competition with Memorie Future, a creative dish celebrating simplicity and sustainability. The recipe caught the attention of a prominent chef, Massimo Bottura, who encouraged Gipponi to pursue his culinary dreams. After a year working alongside one of Italy’s most celebrated kitchens, Osteria Francescana, Gipponi opened his own restaurant, Dina, in Gussago in November 2017 — a place where his ideas finally came to life.