No need to invent hot water: Bravo to Požega-Slavonia County for strategic development

Can sweet potatoes be combined with kulen and acacia honey, which wine goes well with carp chips, what to choose with noodles with poppy seeds...

Chef Branko Ognjenović and chefs from Požega-Slavonia County provided answers to these questions yesterday at the Mövenpick Hotel Zagreb, as part of the promotion of Požega-Slavonia County as a gastronomic destination. 

Namely, six chefs from Požega-Slavonia County, along with the famous chef Branko Ognjenović, prepared authentic dishes in Zagreb that now have a new, modern touch, and in sommelier terms, the famous sommelier Darko Lugarić ensured the perfect match.

Old dishes interpreted through modern cuisine

There was everything there – from spicy kulen, cracklings, lard, chicken liver and mushroom pate, risotto with pumpkin cream, mushrooms and black pig bacon, perch fillet in wine batter, veal perkelt with knuckles, black Slavonian pig roast and cabbage rolls to baked apples in cinnamon and vanilla, plum dumplings, tačkrla... old dishes interpreted through modern cuisine, all paired with selected wines from three vineyards of Golden Slavonia: Kutjevo, Požega-Pleternica and Pakrac.

"The wealth of local ingredients of exceptional quality and top-quality wines are a great potential that, combined with education, knowledge, effort, work, and good promotion, generates excellent tourist results and attracts modern visitors to the destination in search of an authentic and original eno-gastro experience, to the mutual satisfaction of the host and the guest., concluded chef Ognjenović. 

Darko Lugarić shares his opinion, highlighting the wide range of wines from Golden Slavonia, especially the most widespread variety of Graševina, which in this part of Croatia produces exceptional results from sparkling wines to predicate wines, so the sommelier selected more than 15 labels for the Zagreb gathering.  

A famous wine destination is now a gourmet oasis

As part of the Zlatna Slavonija Eno & Gastro project, we are working on developing the destination's eno-gastro offer based on local ingredients and raising the quality of catering services, with the possibility of implementing fine dining, she said. Maja Jakobovic, Director of the Požega-Slavonia County Tourist Board.

"With this goal in mind, since the beginning of the year, in collaboration with chef Branko Ognjenović and sommelier Darko Lugarić, we have organized workshops and training courses that, by applying what we have learned, make a difference that is ultimately felt by the guest. More than 80 chefs, waiters, sommeliers and baristas, owners of catering establishments and wineries from the entire county participated in the training courses. The result is new, attractive menus with top-quality indigenous local products, along with an attractive selection of impressive wines for which our destination is widely known." Jakobović added.

With a modern way of presenting traditional dishes, world-class award-winning wines and ingredients from small, local producers, the destination experience becomes complete, and integrated quality management is a prerequisite for progress and tourism growth.

"This year, the Požega-Slavonia County Tourist Board implemented a commendable independent project, Golden Slavonia Eno & Gastro, raising the quality, innovating the offer and, in terms of eno-gastronomy, elevating the entire destination. And that is why this step forward is extremely important for our area because, in addition to nurturing authenticity, it preserves all the good that was created in our beautiful Slavonia.", emphasized Antonija Jozić, County Prefect of Požega-Slavonia County.

An excellent example of how to strategically develop a destination and directly raise the quality and performance of the destination. What I already wrote about before: Find out how to directly improve the quality of a destination. An example that other tourist boards should follow

There is no need to invent hot water, this is how a destination is strategically developed. This is the main role of the tourist community, to connect, educate, strategically develop, brand and promote the destination. 

It is important to emphasize that this is not a one-off education or destination, but a comprehensive education of stakeholders in the destination in order to directly raise the performance of the entire destination. And after the education, the aforementioned event in Zagreb followed as an element of positioning and additional promotion. 

The example from Požega-Slavonia County is so simple, logical, natural and, most importantly, concrete. An example that all other tourist boards should follow. 

Photo: Borna Subota, EXE production