I was in Milan last week for the occasion of EuroCucina 2026, the biennial trade fair that brings together the future of the kitchen. Events like this have a dual effect: They expand your horizon, sharpen your eye — yet at the same time, they make you question whether your own kitchen is falling behind the times. As a guest of Arçelik, the first thing that struck me was that “white goods” are no longer white. Browns, deep greens — appliances now come in tones so refined and expressive that they feel less like equipment and more like integral elements of interior design. As Arçelik CEO Can Dinçer put it, homes are getting smaller, kitchens are merging with living spaces, and the kitchen is becoming one of the most defining components of the home.
The second striking theme was the seamless integration of artificial intelligence into everyday life. From ovens that suggest recipes based on the ingredients you have on hand, to smart refrigeration systems using Vital Care technology — employing three different light spectrums to preserve antioxidants in fruits and vegetables for up to seven days; from extractor hoods that activate automatically by sensing heat, to refrigerators that optimize energy consumption by learning when they are most frequently opened. These are solutions that make daily life not only more efficient but fundamentally more intelligent. Even details like steam-assisted ovens that help preserve vitamins A and C reveal that this is no longer just about convenience, but about redefining the quality of what we eat.
Koç Group celebrated its 100th anniversary this week. One of the most significant milestones for this Turkish powerhouse is Arçelik’s recent recognition as Europe’s number one white goods company, according to Euromonitor’s 2025 unit sales data. Yes, a Turkish brand is leading the European market. Operating under Beko Europe, Arçelik manages four brands — Beko, Whirlpool, Hotpoint and Bauknecht — across 30 countries, with 66 subsidiaries and nearly 15,000 employees.
This year’s theme for the company is “Heritage. Design. Purpose.” What sets them apart, however, is not merely embracing sustainability — a concept now widely discussed — but expressing it through tangible, impactful action. Have you heard of Food for Soul, now celebrating its tenth year? Founded in 2015 by Italian chef Massimo Bottura, it is a social gastronomy movement that tackles food waste while fostering social inclusion. And quite frankly, it is a project that might never have reached this scale without Beko’s support.
Akın Garzanlı, CEO responsible for Europe, explained that when they first entered the European market, they initially sponsored a football team. But soon after, they began searching for a collaboration that could touch people’s lives in a more meaningful way. That search led them to Massimo Bottura. “We are not interested in your dishes, but in your ideas,” they told him — a sentence that, in many ways, defined the spirit of what followed. When asked if he had a project in mind, Bottura shared a vision he had been carrying for years: Food for Soul.
Today, that vision has evolved into a remarkable system: 2,752 tons of food recovered, more than 176,000 volunteers engaged, and over 4.3 million meals served to approximately 1.65 million guests.
Through a network of Refettorios, surplus food is recovered and transformed into high-quality meals — presented with remarkable care and aesthetic sensitivity — and served to vulnerable and socially isolated individuals within a framework of dignity and hospitality. But what truly defines this initiative is not simply feeding people; it is building a system. A system that collects surplus from supermarkets, producers and hospitality networks, and reintroduces it into circulation — reframing waste as a resource.
These spaces move far beyond the concept of a soup kitchen. Many Refettorios are created by transforming abandoned or underutilized buildings into thoughtfully designed environments enriched with art and architecture. Because the goal is not just to provide something “edible,” but to offer an experience that restores dignity and makes people feel seen, valued, and respected. It is not just about the food on the plate — but how, where, and with what intention it is served.
The most memorable moment of the trip, however, was sitting at a table set by Massimo Bottura himself. We were welcomed with these words: A table is never just a table. It is a place where food transcends nourishment — it becomes an idea, a system and a conscience.
Through the lens of Food for Soul, what appears ordinary — stale bread, overripe vegetables, kitchen trimmings — reveals itself as untapped potential. The narrative began with pappa al pomodoro, a humble yet deeply expressive dish, reminding us that transformation does not begin with extraordinary ingredients, but with the ability to recognize value where others see waste. In the Modenese tradition of tortellini, food becomes more than a recipe; it is a ritual passed from one generation to the next. In a dish inspired by Damien Hirst’s paintings, design itself becomes a tool for solving an invisible problem — making waste visible, and translating it into an aesthetic language through sauces crafted from what would otherwise be discarded.
Because here, beauty and purpose are not opposites. When seen through the right lens, they are two forces that can coexist — on the same plate, at the same table.
