Condé Nast acquired an 80 per cent stake in the magazine from the owner, Lapo Niccolini, and will operate it as part of the Milan-based media organisation which produces more than a dozen magazines including Italian editions of Vogue, Vanity Fair, Glamour and AD, along with some of Italy’s leading media websites. La Cucina Italiana is published in Italy and the US and licensed in Germany, Czech Republic, Turkey and Holland. In addition to the magazine, the company runs a famous cooking school based in Milan.
“La Cucina Italiana is an institution in Italy and a unique brand with huge potential for global development in media and beyond,” said Jonathan Newhouse.
Lapo Niccolini, who will serve as President of the unit, commented, “Condé Nast shares with my organisation a true commitment to editorial quality and that is why it is best home for my magazine. La Cucina Italiana has the opportunity to achieve new heights of success.”
Giampaolo Grandi, President of Condé Nast Italy, declared that the decision by the Newhouse publishing family, Condé Nast’s owners, to invest in Italy represented a vote of confidence in the market.
“Italy remains a vital media market and a place where strong brands can flourish,” said Grandi. He pointed out that Milan will host a world expo dedicated to food in 2015, giving Condé Nast’s new title a chance to shine on the global stage.
