From a disused juvenile prison to a laboratory of hope. In Lecce, in a space where silences and waiting once echoed, today the scent of toasted almonds, sourdough and fine chocolate is in the air. It is here that the 300mila signature Easter line was born, including handcrafted doves and gourmet chocolate eggs made by inmates nearing the end of their sentences. A story of rebirth, dignity and taste, which tastes like second chances. Behind each dove and each egg there is more than a recipe: there is a structured social project, born in 2019 from the visionary dream of Davide De Matteis, a Lecce entrepreneur with a long career in the world of catering excellence, and raised in the historic family pastry shop “La Cotognata Leccese.”
A childhood dream turned collective rebirth
The project comes to life in the heart of Lecce’s former juvenile prison, now transformed into Laboratorio 300mila, a thousand square meters of gastronomic innovation and inclusion. Here, thanks to an agreement with the Ministry of Justice, some inmates of the Borgo San Nicola Prison find a concrete opportunity to learn a trade, redeem themselves and redesign their lives. Guiding them between ovens and kneading machines is Chef Director Marco Silvestro, with a strictly artisanal, sustainable and absolute quality-oriented approach.
Doves telling stories
Colombe 300mila are not simply Easter cakes. They are small leavened masterpieces that follow Italian tradition: selected flours, fresh eggs, high-quality butter, Toritto almonds and mother yeast that has been guarded and refreshed for more than 20 years. The dough, after 30 hours of natural leavening, gives birth to the classic colomba with candied oranges and a crispy sugar and almond coating. Alongside tradition, there is also innovation: the 70% dark chocolate colomba is this year’s novelty, with a cocoa dough and an irresistible chocolate and almond glaze.
Collectible eggs for every palate
The Easter offering is rounded out with the Uova 300mila, available in eight versions, true sensory experiences designed for the most discerning palates. They range from Jivara 40% milk chocolate to Guanaja 70% dark chocolate, passing through variants with Giffoni hazelnut grains. There are also white eggs with dehydrated raspberries and whole hazelnuts, or those with Sicilian pistachio paste. Among the 2025 creations are theRuby Egg with raspberries and the original Dubai Chocolate: a milk egg filled with pistachio spread, kataifi paste and colored white chocolate decorations. A concentrate of pastry artistry and gustatory storytelling.
The laboratory of wonders
In addition to Easter products, Laboratorio 300mila makes year-round shortbread, chocolate bars, jams, sauces, crackers and flatbreads. Each product is created with attention to short supply chain, organic ingredients and environmental sustainability, with state-of-the-art machinery serving authentic tradition.
Beyond the sweet: the 300-thousand universe
300mila is today an ecosystem of excellence. Started as a Lounge Bar – several times awarded by Gambero Rosso as “Best Bar in Italy” – it has evolved into a transversal brand that also includes the Nazionale Ristorante, Terrazza 300mila, Pizzeria 300mila in Otranto, the catering service and, from 2023, also Casa 300mila: a refined abode with four suites in the heart of Lecce, a sustainable restaurant and a rooftop with a Jacuzzi and solarium. A project that brings together passion, enterprise and social responsibility, offering a model that can be replicated in other areas. A concrete example of how food can become a tool for inclusion and beauty, capable of transforming lives and territories.
Where to buy and how to contribute: Those wishing to support the project can purchase the doves and eggs at the 300mila concept store, 47th Regiment Infantry 3/5 Street in Lecce, or online at www.300mila.it or by calling 0832.307448.
