BISER MORA 2026: Festival of Flavour, Innovation and Professional Training – Secure Your Place at the Workshops and Tastings Open to the Public

The biggest culinary and gastro festival in this part of Europe, Biser mora, runs from 17 to 21 March at the Svpetrvs hotels in Supetar on the island of Brač, bringing a full programme, top gastronomy masters and a memorable experience for everyone taking part.

This festival brings together leading chefs, waiters, hospitality professionals and those who are about to become one, and gives them a rare chance for training, professional growth, exchange of experience and a look at new business solutions for the season ahead.

The festival is organised by the Association of Chefs from Mediterranean and European Regions (ŠKMER) with the support of the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board, the Supetar Town Tourist Board, the Town of Supetar, Svpetrvs hotels and other partners, with whom it works on the steady promotion of hospitality trades. It gathers wine and food experts, brand and F&B managers, restaurateurs and many other guests who want new gastronomic experience and knowledge through presentations and cooking shows.

This year Biser mora brings a rich and varied programme of professional masterclasses and culinary workshops that show visitors the best of traditional and modern gastronomy. One highlight is the molecular cuisine workshop led by chef Marko Đurašević, in partnership with the retail chain Metro, which supplies the ingredients for his advanced techniques. Đurašević, named Chef of the Year by the Gault&Millau Croatia guide, is known for creative cooking that joins Mediterranean flavours with modern techniques such as gelling, foaming and spherification, and for his work in top restaurants across Europe.

Otkrijte umami kroz pripremu japanskih jela na radionici chefa Marka Đuraševića

The workshop is a rare chance for professionals and creative cooks to learn how traditional ingredients can be transformed by molecular techniques that enrich the flavours and textures of a dish. The partnership with Metro secures the high-quality produce needed for every technique, and the programme confirms Biser mora as a meeting point of tradition, innovation and professional training in gastronomy.

Biser mora also hosts a professional programme for people working in hospitality – “Tequila – born from the heart of the agave”. Dario Grabarić, the leading Croatian expert on spirits and a licensed WSET educator (Level 3 Award in Spirits), walks participants in detail through the world of this authentic Mexican drink. From the fields of blue agave to the bottling line, guests learn every key production step that defines a fine tequila. The masterclass is free and joins theory with a passion for good spirits, leaving the audience richer in new experience.

This year Biser mora also looks for an answer to the eternal question of gastronomic Dalmacija. Visitors can join an exclusive workshop on the symbiosis of two symbols of local tradition – Dalmatian pršut and fine wines. The masterclass is led by Katherine “Kit” Pepper, a respected wine educator with the WSET diploma (DipWSET) and the title of Certified Wine Educator (CWE). Kit explains why pršut, the local dry-cured ham, is both a rewarding and a very demanding partner for wine.

Pepper also leads a masterclass on old Dalmatian grape varieties. That workshop runs in English and is meant for professionals and for anyone who loves authentic flavours and wants to deepen their knowledge and experience.

At the Olimpijski ručak, the festival’s Olympic lunch, the Slovenian culinary team takes over, made up of Dušan Veršec, Lačni Kekec, Šola za storitvene dejavnosti Velenje, Big Pan and Bic Ljubljana.

Ante Madir, executive director of the Croatian Pršut Cluster, which brings together producers from five regions and looks after the sales and the reputation of Istrian, Krk, Drniš and Dalmatian pršut, holds a session called “Akademija dalmatinskog pršuta”, the Academy of Dalmatian Pršut. He is joined by the most awarded Croatian pršut maker and by members of the Dalmatinski pršut association.

This year Biser mora again presents the award-winning “Ka nonina” šalša, a sauce made by the student cooperative Lumbrela from Supetar – a product that revives the culinary tradition of Brač in an inventive way. Inspired by “nonina kužina”, grandmother’s kitchen, the šalša grew out of research into old recipes and their adaptation to contemporary gastronomy, with the aromatic Mediterranean herbs typical of the island of Brač. What sets it apart is the addition of varenik from Brač, a traditional reduced grape must that gives dishes natural sweetness, a fuller taste and nutritional value. Varenik is still made by long simmering of grape juice, which concentrates the natural content and keeps the product authentic.

At this year’s Biser mora visitors can also take part in the exclusive Italian masterclass “Frico Friulano with ancient grain polenta wafer”, led by the renowned cooks Lady Chef Marinella Ferigo, Luca Gioiello and Andrea Basilico. Through the preparation of Frico Friulano and the polenta wafer the masterclass shows the techniques, flavours and creative approach of top Italian cooks, joining tradition with contemporary gastronomy.

Big Pan Slovenija also comes to the festival with a professional solution that makes cooking for a crowd fast, simple and visually striking. It is a kind of pan that hangs over a gas flame and stirs the food automatically in circular motions, which keeps the heat even and lets large amounts of food cook without a chef watching over it. It suits festivals such as Biser mora, where hundreds and even thousands of guests are fed every day.

For everyone visiting the 21st Biser mora in Supetar this means one thing: the festival will be a culinary experience as much as a musical one.

All events are free for the public, but sign-up is needed because the number of places at the masterclasses and tastings is limited. More about registration, rules and accommodation is available at:

Biser mora – međunarodni kulinarski festival

The Biser mora training sessions are part of the project Kompetencije za izvrsnost u ugostiteljstvu, Competences for Excellence in Hospitality, supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, aimed at the steady development of professional knowledge and at making Croatian gastronomy more competitive.