{"id":4597,"date":"2025-09-10T15:46:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T13:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ffcr.se\/2025\/09\/10\/from-office-job-to-pizza-guru-sandra-mastios-path-to-success\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T15:55:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T13:55:29","slug":"from-office-job-to-pizza-guru-sandra-mastios-path-to-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ffcr.se\/en\/2025\/09\/10\/from-office-job-to-pizza-guru-sandra-mastios-path-to-success\/","title":{"rendered":"From Office Job to Pizza Guru \u2013 Sandra Mastio\u2019s Path to Success"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Sandra\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Interview<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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From Office Job to Pizza Guru \u2013 Sandra Mastio\u2019s Path to Success<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Sandra Mastio is one of Sweden\u2019s most renowned pizza experts, cookbook authors, and TV personalities\u2014and this fall, she will host the live kitchen at FFCR Malm\u00f6. With her creative approach to cooking and passion for Italian cuisine, she has become a prominent entrepreneur in southern Sweden.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For Sandra Mastio, the path into the restaurant industry was far from obvious. With a stable office job and fixed working hours, the idea of a career change seemed completely unimaginable. But despite the absence of any particular culinary or restaurant culture during her upbringing, Sandra has developed a unique perspective on food and ingredient-driven creation.<\/p>\n

“When I was growing up, food was just fuel for me\u2014a toasted sandwich on the way to school. There wasn\u2019t much drama around it,” Sandra says with a laugh.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The italian kitchen<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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But then he came\u2014a man who would later become her husband\u2014and with him his mother: a quintessential Italian \u201cfood mom,\u201d a woman who didn\u2019t just cook, but ran an entire kitchen with such authority that no one dared do anything other than follow her rules.<\/p>

“I had never met anyone like her, so completely in command of her kitchen, and it was truly a culture shock for me. Suddenly, I was part of a world where a meal wasn\u2019t just about filling your stomach, but about creating togetherness and truly experiencing something as a family. And it was here\u2014in this Italian household\u2014that I discovered my love for food in a way I had never understood before,” Sandra explains.<\/p>

“At first, my diet was very limited. Prosciutto? Mozzarella? That was strange to me. I was used to farmhouse cheese,” she says with a laugh.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Masterchef Sweden 2014<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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But bit by bit, Sandra began to embrace the Italian food culture\u2014a journey that was both surprising and educational. Eventually, she started experimenting in the kitchen herself, and shortly thereafter met another chef\u2014Jennie Walld\u00e9n, who won Sweden\u2019s MasterChef in 2013.<\/p>

“When I saw Jennie win, I thought\u2014why not me?” says Sandra.
And so she did\u2014Sandra Mastio won the entire competition in 2014.<\/p>

“I had no formal training, no family recipes behind me, but I could understand flavors. It was as if I somehow saw food as a puzzle,” she explains.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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From TV Personality to Restaurant Owner<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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But the path into the industry hasn\u2019t always been easy. Despite her win, the exciting TV career, and published cookbooks, the restaurant industry Sandra entered was just as uncertain as it was fun.<\/p>

She first made a guest appearance at a pizzeria in Stockholm, and it was there\u2014amid her joy for simple Italian food\u2014that Sandra began to find her culinary identity. In December 2017, she took her first step as a restaurant owner with her very own eatery in Malm\u00f6, together with her husband Stefano.<\/p>

“We started with a pop-up pizza service in our garden, and when we saw it was going well, we opened our own. After all, everyone loves pizza, so what could go wrong? Pizza is the perfect canvas for creativity in cooking. You can do anything with a pizza.”<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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A Surprising Turn of Events<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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But nothing is predetermined. In 2020, Sandra suffered a horseback riding accident that changed everything. A brain hemorrhage and a long recovery put her life on hold.<\/p>

“It was a life-altering experience for me. I didn\u2019t know if I would be able to continue in the restaurant industry. There were so many questions,” she explains.<\/p>

She recounts the months of not being able to leave the house, the migraines that never went away. But eventually, when she returned to the kitchen floor, it felt like a triumph.<\/p>

“Being back on the floor, feeling that I had made it through\u2014it was incredibly joyful,” she says.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Looking Back<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Since her career took off, Sandra has opened a total of four restaurants\u2014including a seasonal pop-up on a hotel rooftop. Today, she runs two of the restaurants, and one of the things she is most proud of is how she has been able to give people memorable experiences through food.<\/p>

“One of the most rewarding aspects of this job is seeing the people you hire grow and gain confidence. That is one of the most valuable things for me\u2014being able to inspire others and make the world a little better\u2014especially when it feels so upside-down,” she explains.<\/p>

But for Sandra, it\u2019s not all about being at the forefront in the kitchen.<\/p>

“I love this job because it gives me so much in return, but I never think too far ahead. I live in the moment,” she says with a smile. “But one thing is certain\u2014Sandra Mastio will continue doing what she loves, in her unpretentious and genuine way.”<\/p>

By:<\/strong> Rebecca Hyde-Price Aggestam<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Last post<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\"viltmatakademin<\/div>\n <\/a>\n \t\t
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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tSvenska Viltmatakademin organizes \u201cGame in the Kitchen\u201d\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t \n

Svenska Viltmatakademin organizes \u201cGame in the Kitchen,\u201d featuring cooking demonstrations, stage interviews, an award ceremony for Restaurant of the Year for Game Cuisine and Game Municipality of the Year, as well as tastings and networking.<\/p>\n <\/a>\n \n\t\t\n\t\t\tL\u00e4s mer \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t

\n \t\t\n\t\t\tJanuary 12, 2026\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\tNo Comments\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t <\/div>\n \t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t
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\"Tea_Malmeg\u00e5rd\"<\/div>\n <\/a>\n \t\t
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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTea Malmeg\u00e5rd on DoMa, ingredients, and restaurant experience\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t \n

After years in the world of desserts and fine dining, Tea Malmeg\u00e5rd made the decision to resign from Operak\u00e4llaren and create something of her own. Here, she talks about the journey there, the decisions behind the menus, and why the overall experience is always more important than the perfect dish.<\/p>\n <\/a>\n \n\t\t\n\t\t\tL\u00e4s mer \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t

\n \t\t\n\t\t\tJanuary 2, 2026\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\tNo Comments\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t <\/div>\n \t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t
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\"\u00c5rets<\/div>\n <\/a>\n \t\t
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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThis year\u2019s famous names at FFCR Stockholm\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t \n

The moderator for FFCR Stockholm 2026 is Marion Ringborg \u2013 a well-known chef and culinary creator. In the live kitchen, she will be joined by speakers such as Nils Molinder, MasterChef winner Linnea Jarnrot, sommelier Emelie Svensson, and Tea Malmeg\u00e5rd, an award-winning pastry chef and restaurateur behind DoMa.<\/p>\n <\/a>\n \n\t\t\n\t\t\tL\u00e4s mer \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t

\n \t\t\n\t\t\tDecember 19, 2025\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\tNo Comments\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t <\/div>\n \t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sandra Mastio is one of Sweden\u2019s most renowned pizza experts, cookbook authors, and TV personalities\u2014and this fall, she will host the live kitchen at FFCR Malm\u00f6. With her creative approach to cooking and passion for Italian cuisine, she has become a prominent entrepreneur in southern Sweden.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1294,"featured_media":3842,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"23","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"edition":[19],"class_list":["post-4597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-malmo-2025-en","edition-ffcr-malmo-2025"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ffcr.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4597","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ffcr.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ffcr.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ffcr.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1294"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ffcr.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4597"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.ffcr.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4597\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5984,"href":"https:\/\/www.ffcr.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4597\/revisions\/5984"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ffcr.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3842"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ffcr.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4597"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ffcr.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4597"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ffcr.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4597"},{"taxonomy":"edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ffcr.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/edition?post=4597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}