An inauguration enhanced by an award recognizing years of tireless work and promotion of Made in Italy in Kenya.
On Saturday, the Italian supermarket “Roberto's Market & Cellar, The Taste of Italy” officially opened in the Rosslyn Riviera Mall in Nairobi.
During the opening night, where hosts Roberto Miano and Renata Ballarin offered samples of delicacies imported by Gourmet Master, their company that has been offering the best of Italian food and wine (and more) for 35 years, to the many Italian and foreign guests, there was an important institutional “surprise.”
The Italian ambassador to Kenya, Roberto Natali, accompanied by his wife Chiara, the deputy ambassador Lorenza Gambacorta, the commercial and consular representative Marco Scoppa, and the director of the Italian Trade Agency, Giuseppe Manenti, presented Renata Ballarin with the honor of Cavaliere della Stella d'Italia, conferred by the Presidency of the Italian Republic on our compatriot.
The citation reads as follows:
After living for many years in Italy and the United States, gaining solid international experience and a multicultural outlook, Renata Ballarin decided to move to Kenya, a country where she saw new opportunities for personal and professional growth. Her first job with a local NGO gave her the opportunity to put her managerial and social skills to good use, contributing to development and cooperation projects. However, driven by an innate entrepreneurial spirit and a deep passion for Italian culture, she subsequently embarked on an independent career in the food and wine sector...
...A shining example of a female entrepreneur and a leading figure in the internationalization of Italian excellence, Renata Ballarin continues to innovate and invest with passion, becoming a model of female leadership, resilience, and strategic vision.
Roberto's is now open in Nairobi, every day from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., with lots of new additions to its range of cold cuts, fresh dairy products flown in by plane, gourmet delicacies, pasta, rice, oil, and much more...not to mention an incredible wine cellar. Abroad, there are shared tables to enjoy a lunch break from the office (the Rosslyn Riviera is a stone's throw from the United Nations and embassy district) or an aperitif, with platters of cold cuts and cheeses, crostini, and tasty sandwiches prepared on the spot, and why not a bottle of wine or prosecco and a spritz.
Freddie and Roberto explain it all in our video report.