RADICCHIO, NOT ROSES 2025

WORM STUDIO and THOM EAGLE

We have partnered with east London-based floral creatives Worm Studio and chef and educator Thom Eagle, of Margate’s acclaimed Bottega Caruso, to offer inspiration around how radicchio can be both styled and eaten at its best. From Thom, we will be sharing radicchio recipes, while Worm were commissioned to create a Valentine’s arrangement using radicchio, showcasing its versatility and beauty.

Challenging the traditional idea of a floral bouquet for Valentine’s Day, they set their sculptural installation against a human body in Antonello’s fields in Veneto to emphasize the connection between these remarkable plants and the physical work of nurturing them in the fields, forcing them in the sheds and preparing them.

PRESERVE GROWING ARTISTRY

GROWING ARTISTRY ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION

Veneto, in Italy’s northeast, has maintained a long tradition of radicchio growing. For centuries wild chicory has been eaten here, thriving in the heavy, mineral-rich soils and fluctuating temperatures that drop below freezing for weeks at a time.

TRADITIONAL FORCING ELEVATES FLAVOR

However, these plants were elevated into a delicacy through careful selection, the passing on of traditional wisdom, and the development of an innovative cultivation process: forcing. After an initial period of outdoor growth, growers would re-plant their chicories in the dark, their roots often immersed in soil, spring water or sand. Triggered into new growth without photosynthesis, nutrient-dense, bittersweet and firm heads would form. By 1900 there were whole exhibitions celebrating these qualities.

Today, however, a different story dominates. Most growers opt for modern varieties designed to self-blanch in the field. The result: higher yields but the depleted flavor in dull or overly bitter heads.

Earlier this year at Tamarack Hollow in Vermont, Amanda successfully forced Rosa del Veneto and Tardivo — proof that radicchio can thrive in the US without chemical intervention at this time of year. While we hope to see a network of US growers develop, we continue to back those on the ground in Veneto who are fighting to preserve the varieties and traditions passed down the generations.

OUR GROWERS CHOOSE FLAVOR OVER YIELD

A decade ago we came across Antonello’s chicories at the Lusia market in Veneto. From their striking colors to their densely packed heads, we recognized quality that only comes as a result of genuine artistry. Since then, we have built relationships with a number of small-scale, traditional growers going against the odds— Luca, Damiano and Torre.

CHOOSE FLAVOR, NOT WASTE

RADICCHIO IS EATEN, NOT WASTED AT END OF LIFE

Deep purple with tight, curled leaves or rosette-shaped with red speckles, bright red with crisp white veins or all hues of pink; we challenge you to find flowers more striking and vibrant than these radicchio heads.

In the UK, around 34,700 tonnes of cut flowers are used and wasted every year. At end of life, these are either sent to landfill, or home composted — a risk to soil health if those flowers have been grown and preserved with harmful chemicals.

At the end of their life as centrepieces, radicchio plants are eaten, not wasted. Their bittersweet complexity makes them ideal for cold-weather dishes. Try with walnuts and anchovies in a winter salad, or wilted down, and folded through a silky risotto, with burnt lemon for acidic cut-through.

Additional Reading

The Financial Times, How Green is Your Bouquet? The New Eco-Friendly Mindset in Floral Design
Live Frankly, Seasonal Flowers UK: Sustainable Flower Delivery
The Guardian, Roses are Dead … How to Choose a More Ethical and Original Bouquet this Valentine’s Day
Primrose Creations, Flower Waste Management: Can the Floral Industry Make a Change?
Centre for Environmental Policy Environmental Quality Research Group, Cut Flower Waste Management