European Food Summit - PAST EVENTS
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EFS 2021
Awaken the perception of the culture of food
The European Food Summit, one of the most important European culinary events, has come to an end. As part of an unparalleled three-day event, it provided an interlacement of gastronomy, culture, art and architecture. The culmination of the event under the slogan "EVOKE UP!" was marked by renowned speakers from all over the world, the “awakeners,” as the event curator Andrea Petrini calls them, where they talked about the culture food and its importance.
Speakers 2021
What will be on our tables in the future was discussed by guest speakers at the Monday’s professional symposium. The European Food Summit served up an interesting selection of topics, whose main idea was to challenge the audience and decision-makers to address serious issues the industry and our society as a whole will be facing in the next years and decades. 

Maria Canabal

Founder and president of the Parabere ForumFrance

Parabere Forum is an annual event that gathers thought leaders in the field of food and promotes women's points of view and voices in the food industry and creating a powerful, global network in order to strengthen the influence of women in the food sector. Maria Canabal also writes for Gourmet, Monocle, Vogue Casa amongst others and was awarded as "Most Influential Women in Gastronomy" in 2015 by the Foundation Woman's Week.

Nicolai Nørregaard

Chef, Kadeau restaurantsDenmark

One of the early proponents of the Nordic Cuisine movement. The food in both of his Kadeau restaurants (on the island of Bornholm with 1 Michelin star and in Copenhagen with 2 Michelin stars), is based on wild nature and local farmers. Pickling, drying, brining, curing and reducing to jus - Nicolai Nørregaard perfectly masters all the techniques and this is how, even in winter, the most varied tastes and aromas from his homeland unfold in his dishes.

Marie-Claude Lortie

Journalist and activist, Le DroitCanada

Marie-Claude has recently been appointed editor-in-chief of the daily Le Droit in Ottawa. Before that, she was a columnist with the Montreal daily La Presse, where she worked for 33 years, covering everything from politics to fashion, with a long-time specialization in gastronomy and agriculture. She is also the author of several books, including her latest, The Future is in the Fields, co-written with star farmer Jean-Martin Fortier. It is about why we should all choose to support local and natural or organic agriculture. When she is not running half-marathons, she can be seen defending her feminist analyses of everything or explaining why maple syrups are not all created equal.    

John Lanchester

WriterGreat Britain

One of the most distinguished British writers to emerge in the wake of his celebrated peers from the previous generation, from Martin Amis to Salman Rushdie, Ian McEwan and Jonathan Coe. His breakthrough Whitbread Prize winner thrilling gourmet roman-à-clé "The Debt to Pleasure" (1996) has been translated all over the world. Acclaimed fiction writer (Mr Philips, 2000; Class, 2012; The Wall, 2019) Lanchester has been collaborating over the years to many of the long read, quality writing defining publications around the English speaking world such as the London Review of Books, the New Yorker, Esquire and The Guardian where he used to be one of the most singularly voiced and nonclassical food writers. His speech at the European Food Summit promises to be a major hit.

Colombe Saint-Pierre

Chef, Chez St-PierreCanada

Colombe Saint-Pierre is a self-taught chef, searching for inspiration in her family, travelling and adventure. After around 10 years spent exploring and discovering various culinary cultures across many continents around the world, her passion for food guided her back to her native village in the Lower St. Laurence region of Quebec. The driving force behind her cooking is promotion of the incredible diversity of regional culinary cultures and raising awareness about the vital importance of environmental protection and conservation. Her restaurant Chez St-Pierre and her championing of local products have placed her hometown on the many food lovers’ map.

Nicolas Bourriaud

Best-selling author and French art theoristFrance

Nicolas Bourriaud is a curator and art critic, as well as the former Director of the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts. He was the Gulbenkian Curator of Contemporary Art at Tate Britain from 2007 to 2010, where he curated the fourth Tate Triennial. He is the author of a number of books, including Postproduction, Altermodern, and the highly acclaimed Relational Aesthetics.

Angél León

Chef, AponienteSpain

Leon, “El Chef del Mar« (Chef of the Sea), is that kind of cook. A three-Michelin-star chef, but one that will call himself a fisherman first, everything else comes after. When he speaks about sea and oceans he’s not selling yet another story on sustainability, yet another second-hand fairytale. He can deliver the story because he’s out there on the sea practically every day at dawn, scouting the depths of Bay of Cadiz with his fishing boat.

Rebbeca Clopath

ChefSwizerland

Her cooking philosophy begins with the seeds and organic cultivation of vegetables and field crops as well as the respectful keeping of farm animals. Vegetables, for example, should grow in healthy soil using alternative, near-natural cultivation methods. She says that there are so many tasty and rare varieties to rediscover that are simply fantastic to cook and eat!

Rene Redzepi

Chef, NomaDenmark

Danish chef and co-owner of the three-Michelin star restaurant Noma. His restaurant was voted the best restaurant in the world by Restaurant magazine's World's Best Restaurants in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014, and was awarded its third Michelin star in 2021. Redzepi is noted for his work on the reinvention and refinement of a new Nordic cuisine and food that is characterized by inventiveness and clean flavours.

Jeanne Dumas Chalifour & Matteo Monterumisi

Farmers, Mountain farmSlovenia

Couple originally from Canada and Italy with an interesting history from biodynamic winemaking decided to try their luck somewhere unknown. They moved to Slovenia, where they first collaborated with few natural wine makers and rented their first vineyard. After some time, they left the wine region and moved to Srednje, a high hills village of nine inhabitants, old orchard of indigenous varieties, perfect sun exposure, healthy soil, fresh air, abandoned centenary house and stable. That was the perfect canvas. Now they are keeping goats, baking, cooking, building and growing vegetables for their family, for neighbors, friends and for Hiša Franko restaurant.

Andraž Tuš

EngrotušSlovenia

Entrepreneur with a passion for innovative technological solutions that make lives easier for people. He thrives on consistently taking on new challenges, be it business or sports. The latest two: Reposition Tuš as a quality & convenience oriented grocery retailer and row 1000km (on indoor rower) in as little days as possible. The ongoing paradigm shift in retail and related industries towards accelerated digitalisation will build numerous new businesses and improve supply-chain efficiency of food. There is an enormous opportunity in reducing food waste and at the same time improving one’s quality of life by using the latest data-centric technologies. Tuš is gearing up to be the industry leader and Andraž is consistently taking steps to get it there.

EFS 2019
The European Food Symposium 2019 left a mark across the entire Europe.

The message of the symposium was very clear: It is important to understand that sustainability is not a value in itself, but a motto we must take into account in our actions. Sustainable approach is also not the goal of culinary creativity, but the path which leads us to the same goal - the ultimate culinary experience. Sustainability must become a part of the culinary world from the source of food, all the way to the plate. At this point, the science with its discoveries, which are becoming increasingly embedded in the culinary world, could help us. But not only the culinary science, also the engineering science. The speakers highlighted another interesting paradox which is increasingly affecting the world of not only fine cuisine, but gastronomy in general. The opening or closing of borders has a major impact on the development of gastronomy in the world, where moderation and exploitation of the positive potentials of both extremes are crucial.

Speakers 2019

The speakers at the European Food Summit were named ‘the teachers of the future’. How else could we describe the individuals who are dedicating their life to learning about the integral value of food and selflessly pass this knowledge on? They encouraged everyone present to think and work forward for a better and more sustainable future.

Afton Halloran

Consultant in Sustainable Food Systems TransitionsDenmark

Originally from Vancouver Island, Canada, but her research, work, and curiosity has taken her to different corners of the world. Currently she resides in Copenhagen and holds a PhD in International and Pediatric Nutrition with a specialisation in Sustainable Food Systems. Over the past years, she has been working on the topic of edible insects in sustainable food systems and she is passionate about seeing these food systems as the greatest opportunity to solve major global challenges.

Andoni Luis Aduriz

Chef, MugaritzSpain

Andoni Luis Aduriz is chef patron at Mugaritz restaurant in Donostia, Spain, and is undoubtedly one of the most influential chefs of our times. Throughout his career, he has prioritized both culinary evolution and an interdisciplinary approach. This has allowed him to cross the established borders, and become a rebel in the kitchen. Under his guidance Mugaritz has achieved two Michelin stars and consistently appears in the top 10 restaurants in the World's 50 Best Restaurants list.

Andreas Caminada

Chef, Schloss SchauensteinSwizerland

leading Swiss chef and has been awarded three Michelin stars and 19 GaultMillau points by the age of 33. Since 2003, he has been working at the Schauenstein Castle Restaurant Hotel in Fürstenau, Switzerland, retaining three Michelin stars since 2010. In 2015, he launched the foundation “Fundaziun Uccelin”, with the goal to provide chefs and front of house teams with the opportunity to enhance their knowledge and skills by offering training in their crafts.

Anka Lipušček

Mlekarna PlanikaSlovenia

everyday milks cows before leaving for the office and spends her summer vacation as a shepherdess and cheesemaker. The understanding and responsibility for the environment she grew up in is the reason she's been succesfully managing the Mlekarna Planika dairy since 2008. The dairy only sources milk from Slovenian farmers, who are also co-owners of the factory, and provides the local Tolminc cheese tho the biggest culinary stars of the region.

Christophe Pelé

Chef, Le ClarenceFrance

Christophe Pelé is a chef at Le Clarence, a two Michelin star restaurant in Paris. He is constantly seeking for new flavours and is always on the lookout for new artisan producers and new products that will inspire him and add to his expertise. Le Clarence gives him plenty of opportunities to find ways of pairing wine and food, a complex art in which he is especially interested. His precise, ethereal, cuisine perfectly balanced and without artifice, is resolutely modern.

Esben Holmboe Bang

Chef, MaaemoNorway

head chef and co-owner of Norway’s groundbreaking three Michelin starred restaurant Maaemo. He was born and raised in Copenhagen, but has spent most of his culinary career in Oslo. In 2016, Maaemo was awarded a third Michelin star, making Esben the youngest chef to currently hold Michelin’s highest accolade and the first ever in Norway to do so.

Georges Desrues

Journalist, AuthorItaly

born in Paris, raised in Vienna and is currently based in Trieste. He studied at the University of Gastronomic sciences in Piedmont, Italy, and now works as a writer and photographer for international publications. He also publishes a Slow Food Restaurant guide in Austria.

Ivan Brincat

journalist and owner of Food and Wine GazetteBelgium

founder of Food and Wine Gazette, an independent website that focuses on food, wine and travel. He brings an eclectic mix of in-depth articles, interviews and news from the food and wine world. A Maltese based in Belgium, he loves to develop connections between things that interest him from food to technology, from culture to creativity and reflect them in his writing.

Joe Warwick

food writer and criticUnited Kingdom

London‐based food writer, restaurant critic, well respected and connected within the restaurant world. He has co-founded the World Restaurat Awards with Andrea Petrini and the global events company IMG. He has written for, or been featured in, publications including the Guardian, the Observer, Delicious and the Wall Street Journal.

Jordan Kahn

Chef, VespertineLos Angeles, California

his LA restaurant, was formed through a collaboration with renowned architects and artists and is Kahn's platform for re-imagining and exploring the experience of dining through a convergence of food, art, music, and sculpture, creating a multi-sensory event.

Leonor Espinosa

Chef, Leo Cocina y CavaColombia

Colombian chef whose Bogotá restaurant, Leo Cocina y Cava, features a fusion of traditional and modern Colombian cuisine. As one of the best restaurants in Colombia on the list of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, Leo Cocina y Cava is known for celebrating the national cuisine through its menu. Chef Espinosa works with Colombian native flavours, combining contemporary art with field research and anthropological insights. 

Lior Kochavy

Open kitchenSlovenia

an Israeli who's been living and working in Slovenia for a decade. He's known to most as the co-founder of Slovenia's most popular culinary project, the Open kitchen food market. Beside this award-winning project that is starting its seventh season and is happening all over the country, he's managing the organisation of several culinary events and festivals.

Mateja Gravner

Wine makerGorizia, Italy

Mateja Gravner was born in Gorizia in 1973. Brought up among vineyards, fermentations and refinements, after studying oenology, she takes the road of communication and marketing. She works for years away from home, until, in 2014 she returns to Oslavia and since thenshe has  been handling the marketing and the commercial part for the Gravner family business.

Riccardo Camanini

Chef, Lido 84Italy

Riccardo was named Chef of the Year 2017 by Identità Golose, thanks to his dedication to working with historic ingredients and exploring Italy’s culinary past. The regional differences and provenance of Italian cuisine is what chef Camanini believes makes it one of the best in the world. His food perfectly reflects the flavours of the land surrounding Lido 84. Transparency, professionalism, study, research, sensitivity and critical sense are the basic ingredients of all dishes.

Roberto Flore

Manager at FoodLab, DTU Skylab - Technical University of DenmarkDenmark

researcher, collaborating with chefs on innovation, sustainability and social responsibility, inventing new technologies for restaurants and producers of the future. He loves developing connections between disciplines by using food as a vehicle to address grand global challenges and support non-food related fields with inspirational ideas for projects and business ideas. 

Valter Kramar

Sommelier, co-owner of Hiša FrankoSlovenia

energetic man of many talents and interests: he is a co-owner of Hiša Franko, Hiša Polonka, partner in the local FEO craft brewery and a sommelier with special love for natural wines. "The crazier, the better!" he likes to say when he pairs them with chef Ana Roš's seasonal menus. At Hiša Franko, he is also in charge of the famous cheese, that he brings down from the mountain and then ages it for up to five years in his beautiful cellar.