The Chef
A Sicilian life, told through one long table.
Twenty years between Sicily and London. Six kitchens. One quiet conviction — that hospitality, done properly, is the most generous thing one human can give to another.
Chef Carmelo Carnevale — London & Sicily
Hospitality is the act of making someone feel they belong at the table.
Carmelo Carnevale was raised in a Sicilian family for whom the kitchen was the centre of the house. His grandmother taught him to read dough; his mother taught him to cook for strangers as though they were already family. He trained in fine-dining kitchens across Italy and Switzerland before moving to London, where he held Executive Chef positions in some of the city’s most exacting hotel restaurants.
In 2014 he stepped out of hotel kitchens to cook privately — first for a single London family, then for many. ChefMéd was founded to formalise that work, and has grown into a small studio designing private dinners, destination weddings, corporate hospitality and hospitality consultancy for clients across the United Kingdom and Italy.
Today, Chef Carmelo leads ChefMéd Ltd, which owns Lizzie’s Cucina and delivers experiences and consultancy. The company is also a proud sponsor of the independent Italian Culinary Consortium (ICC), which is supported by ChefMéd Ltd, not owned by it.
A chef’s timeline.
Sicily
Born and raised in the kitchens of his family in Sicily, where Sunday lunch was the central act of the week.
Michelin-Trained
Trained in Michelin-rated kitchens across Italy and Switzerland, learning the rigour of fine-dining service.
Executive Chef
Held Executive Chef positions in luxury hotels in London and the Middle East, building international hospitality teams from the ground up.
Private Chef
Began cooking privately for UK-based families, foundations and visiting heads of state.
The House
Founder of ChefMéd Ltd, the Mediterranean hospitality house behind ChefMéd experiences and consultancy, owner of Lizzie’s Cucina and proud sponsor of the independent Italian Culinary Consortium (ICC).
Restaurateur
Opened Lizzie's Cucina, a neighbourhood Italian restaurant built around the cooking he grew up with.
Consultant
Advises restaurant groups, hotels and emerging operators on opening, menu strategy, costing and team training.