Research from Peroni has revealed food and drink are the strongest triggers for travel memories, inspiring the Italian beer brand to partner with chef Ixta Belfrage on a pop-up dinner series. Olivia Palamountain reports

A study commissioned by Italian beer brand Peroni Nastro Azzurro has found that 72% of Britons consider taste and smell the strongest triggers for travel memories, rising to 81% among 25-44-year-olds, surpassing excursions (32%), weather (30%) and local cultural experiences (28%).

The research also finds that 62% of respondents say culinary experiences abroad influence their eating habits at home, increasing to 83% among millennials. Nearly half of UK travellers (49%) try new dishes whilst abroad, with 40% of 25-34-year-olds bringing food and drink souvenirs home from their travels.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Italy emerged as the country most associated with great food, chosen by 37% of respondents, with Rome topping the list as the best Italian city for cuisine, selected by 35% overall and half of Gen Z respondents.Hot on the heels of the results, the Italian beer brand has collaborated with chef Ixta Belfrage on a series of pop-up dining experiences featuring a "Journey Through Italy" menu.

Free tickets for exclusive pop-up dinners on June 24-25 at London's Carousel are available through Eventbrite here, with recipes also available online at no cost. Find them here. 
Belfrage, who began her career as an Ottolenghi's protégée, has designed a menu inspired by her childhood in Tuscany and extensive travels across Italy.

The five-course experience includes dishes such as Porcini & Habanero Lasagne from Tuscany, Cicchetti from Venice, and Ricotta & Sour Cherry Crostata from Rome, each paired with Peroni Nastro Azzurro.
Belfrage says: "My childhood in Tuscany and travels through Italy have shaped who I am today, so when Peroni Nastro Azzurro invited me to create a menu around these journeys, it was an incredible opportunity to revisit some of the places and dishes which have inspired me and put my own twist on them."

The initiative accompanies a national competition with Secret Escapes offering five luxury trips to destinations featured in Belfrage's menu: Tuscany, Venice, Rome, Sardinia, and Capri.
Rob Hobart, marketing director at Peroni Nastro Azzurro, says: "We are delighted to team up with one of the UK's most exciting chefs who is pushing the boundaries of Italian cuisine, to highlight the power food, drink and travel has on memory, and how it can transport diners to golden Italian days, right here in the UK."