The Weekend Food Festival program is cooked, well seasoned and ready to serve! The old tobacco factory in Rovinj will become the center of the world gastro scene from May 5 to 8, and some of the biggest names from the world of cuisine and gastronomy will be on stage, while the accompanying activities will satisfy everyone hungry for a good time.
From alchemy to art, from PR to Michelin stars, from vegetarianism to the position of women in top gastronomy, visitors to the four-day Weekend Food Festival will have the opportunity to learn from the very best in this business.
Rasmus Munk, a great chef from the Alchemist restaurant in Denmark, will present his holistic approach to cooking in a five-act drama; while Austrian chef of Croatian roots Paul Ivić, whose vegetarian restaurants Tian in Vienna and Munich each have one Michelin star, will speak about the trend of vegetarianism in top gastronomy.
Ana Roš, the world’s best chef in 2017, will take us through the ideology of the local, and together with colleagues from the world of gastronomy and hospitality will participate in a panel called “Women (do not) have a place in the kitchen.” Talented Croatian confectioners Maša Salopek, Ana Omazić and Tea Mamut, who have found their place in the kitchen on the world stage, will share their vision of working in world-famous restaurants.
Having talent, being different and working day and night always pays off and brings results, but how much can a well-developed PR campaign help in this process and which are some of the best examples will be discussed at the panel “Make it or break it”, featuring Manuela Fissore Barker, famous PR manager to numerous chefs; Kaja Sajovic, gastro journalist at RTVSlo and Fine Dining Lovers; Andras Jokuti, gastro writer and blogger; and Maksut Askar, famous Turkish chef and TV star.
What is Croatian cuisine or what it should be, will be discussed at the panel discussion “Croatian Cuisine Manifesto” by the very best local chefs: Hrvoje Kroflin, Tvrtko Šakota, Deni Srdoč and Boris Šuljić, owner of the restaurant Boškinac, whose goal is to direct local chefs, restaurateurs and other actors in the hospitality industry to promote natural sustainability, seasonality and the use of local foods, while relying on the country’s rich gastronomic heritage and culture.
Chef Joao Rodrigues, the originator and initiator of Projecto Materia, a unique project that connects chefs, caterers and food producers with the common goal of developing and improving gastronomy locally and globally, will tell us how the Portuguese do it so successfully. Also, some of the best local olive growers will reveal why Istria has been declared the best olive growing region in the world for the seventh year in a row this year.
TasteAtlas is the world’s online atlas of local foods, traditional dishes and authentic restaurants, featuring more than 10,000 dishes, drinks and ingredients. Matija Babić, the creator of this most ambitious project, will sit down with Mate Janković to explain why the project has been so slow to develop and how, as he says, it “burns money”.
Dabiz Munoz, an eccentric looking Mohawk-wearing chef and virtuoso whose sensational dishes earned him the title of the best chef in the world in 2021, will talk about the avant-garde, ambitious and revolutionary style that reigns supreme in his kitchen. In his restaurant DiverXO, which boasts three Michelin stars, everything is connected to the sensory experience, and he will pass on his vision of the development of gastronomy to all festival visitors.
The festival program will feature an interview with yet another virtuoso, Massimo Bottura, whose dishes explore the deep roots of Italian cuisine while invoking his other great passions for history, art, music, literature and philosophy. With an inspiring conversation about tradition and innovation, development and growth, and helping those in need, Chef Bottura will present his worldview to the audience, thus wrapping up the program part of the festival.
One thing is for sure, the Weekend Food Festival is an event for which you need to secure your ticket on time. Gala dinners and interesting masterclasses will soon be available on the official website as well.
Find out more about speakers and the program at www.weekendfoodfestival.hr
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