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On 22 June 2026, at the Cantine Bellavista in Erbusco, Forbes Italia celebrated the 25 most influential chefs in Italy. Frantoio Muraglia was among the evening’s supporters, and Savino Muraglia took to the stage to present the award to Antonia Klugmann, Alessandro Borghese, and Franco Pepe. It was a tribute to those who, through their cooking, help to celebrate Italy’s gastronomic heritage.
The Forbes Most Powerful Chef is the annual ranking with which Forbes Italia honours the twenty-five most influential chefs in Italy. It measures not only talent at the stove, but the ability to create culture, enterprise, and social impact. The 2026 edition — the third — was held on 22 June at the Cantine Bellavista in Erbusco.
The selection was led by Maddalena Fossati Dondero, editor of La Cucina Italiana and curator of the ranking. In her address, she explained that the list looks at how chefs “add new chapters to the future of Italian cuisine,” because “Italian cuisine is tradition, but it is also future.”
The criteria go beyond Michelin stars. What counts is vision, identity, entrepreneurial ability, and international recognisability. As Alessandro Mauro Rossi, editor-in-chief of Forbes Italia, reminded the audience from the stage, they had gathered that evening “not to celebrate the dishes, but to tell the stories” of those who carry Italy out into the world.
The evening also marked a milestone: Italian cuisine ranked first in the world in the AI Reputation Index, with a score of 95.28 out of 100, ahead of France and Japan. It is a figure that adds to its UNESCO recognition as intangible cultural heritage. You can find the full ranking and the official account on the Forbes Italia website.
Frantoio Muraglia was among the supporters of the 2026 edition, alongside a select group of Italian companies. For us, it was not a mere presence. Savino Muraglia took to the stage to present the award to three of the evening’s protagonists.
The first honour went to Antonia Klugmann, seventh in the ranking, a chef whose cooking Forbes describes as “emotion, purity, depth.” Then came Alessandro Borghese, eighth, honoured as a “great populariser of Italian cuisine.” Finally, Franco Pepe received a special award for turning pizza into a cultural destination.
From the stage, Savino explained why an olive oil producer found himself among the great names of cuisine:
“Italian extra virgin olive oil is a stronghold of Italian cooking; it is its distinguishing mark. That drizzle of oil with which we finish a dish is the signature of Italian cuisine.”
At the top of the Forbes 2026 ranking is the Cerea Family, of the restaurant Da Vittorio, followed by Norbert Niederkofler and Niko Romito in joint position, then Carlo Cracco. The ranking rewards those who combine cooking, entrepreneurial vision, and cultural impact.
Here is the full ranking:
The evening also featured a number of special awards. The Maestro Award went to Massimo Bottura and Antonino Cannavacciuolo. Recognition also went to Paolo Casagrande for excellence abroad, Enrico Buonocore for entrepreneurial vision, Aldo Ritrovato for contemporary gastronomy, Franco Pepe for pizza, and Bruna and Rossella Cerea, celebrated as the soul of Italian hospitality.
That the Cerea Family sits at the top of the ranking touches us closely. With their restaurant Da Vittorio, awarded three Michelin stars, the Cereas represent the excellence of Italian hospitality around the world.
Our bond with them does not run through the supply of oil, but through something rarer: we train the professionals of their Academy in the knowledge of extra virgin olive oil. We teach them to recognise it, to pair it, and to use it as an ingredient, not as a mere condiment.
Great chefs choose an extra virgin olive oil for its freshness, for the right acidity, and for its richness in polyphenols — the substances that define its taste and quality. A young oil, from olives harvested early and processed at once, brings clear aromas and a recognisable character to the plate.
Above all, the cultivar matters — that is, the variety of the olives. Our Coratina offers an intense fruitiness, with notes of artichoke and a bold peppery kick. Peranzana is softer and sweeter. Pressed as single varieties, they tell two different souls of Puglia, each ready to converse with different dishes.
Returning to Puglia after an evening like this leaves us with one certainty. The work of those who cultivate, harvest, and press the olives lives within the same story as those who cook at the highest levels. It is confirmation that beauty and quality walk together, from field to plate. And that a good oil, on the Italian table, is already culture.
What is the Forbes Most Powerful Chef 2026? It is the third edition of the ranking with which Forbes Italia honours the 25 most influential chefs in Italy. It assesses the cultural, social, and entrepreneurial impact of chefs, in addition to their achievements in the kitchen. It took place on 22 June 2026 at the Cantine Bellavista in Erbusco, in Franciacorta.
Who is first in the Forbes 2026 chef ranking? In first place is the Cerea Family, of the restaurant Da Vittorio in Brusaporto. They are followed by Norbert Niederkofler and Niko Romito in joint position, then Carlo Cracco. The ranking includes twenty-five names from the world of great Italian cuisine.
Where and when did the Forbes Most Powerful Chef 2026 take place? The event was held on 22 June 2026 at the Cantine Bellavista in Erbusco, in the heart of Franciacorta. It was a gala evening organised by Forbes Italia, with starred chefs, institutions, and partner companies.
What role did Frantoio Muraglia play at the Forbes Most Powerful Chef? Frantoio Muraglia was among the supporters of the 2026 edition. Savino Muraglia took to the stage to present the award to three chefs: Antonia Klugmann, Alessandro Borghese, and Franco Pepe.
Which extra virgin olive oil do great chefs choose? Professionals choose an extra virgin olive oil that is fresh, low in acidity, and rich in polyphenols. The cultivar matters, as does rapid processing after the harvest. Single-cultivar oils such as Coratina and Peranzana offer clear aromatic profiles, well suited to high-level cuisine.
Foto: Forbes Italia.
