ANDY FENNER, owner Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants, @andyfenner

WHERE? Italy and Austria

OBVIOUSLY EVERYONE KNOWS ITALY IS GOING TO BE GREAT.

And it was.

But Austria stole the show for me. It can stand toe-totoe with anything I’ve seen in terms of natural beauty and the food is so much more than schnitzels (although they have phenomenal schnitzels). And the wine is incredible, showcasing so many unusual varietals.

MY MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE

was meeting

Dario Cecchini (probably the world’s most famous butcher) and having lunch with him and his wife. He took off his apron and gave it to me with a massive hug. Very special.

I’D GO BACK FOR A GLASS

of Grüner Veltliner and smoked pork sausages cooked on the fire next to the lake in Ossiach.

It’s a small town and the prettiest place I have ever visited. I also had a reindeer steak at a superclassy restaurant called Alte

Point in Arriach. It was simple food but executed perfectly and the warmth and hospitality made it a meal I will never forget. And the charcuterie. And the cheese. And the local beer.

WE STAYED AT A BEAUTIFUL HOTEL IN CORMONS, ITALY,

called La Subida. The place was like a fairytale, and they are serious about food and wine there and, interestingly, vinegar. We brought some home and I can never look at vinegar the same way. There is so much passion behind the good ones.

SINCE THAT TRIP, I’VE USED A LOT MORE VINEGAR

– as a seasoning agent and to balance dishes, but also to braise certain cuts of meat. We also started cutting the famous bistecca alla Fiorentina, basically an extrathick T-bone, after seeing it all over Tuscany. Salt, pepper and rosemary. Cooked over an open fire. I’m not a huge fan of fillet but this is the best way to cook it.