XI. international culinary festival Pearl of the sea took place on 7th to 11th April in Svpetrvs Hotels in Supetar on island Brač. This event was once again sponsored by Hypo Alpe-Adria-Bank, organized in co-operation with the City of Supetar, Tourist Board of Supetar, and Svpetrvs Hotels. The Pearl of the sea has attracted more than 200 chefs from Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Greece, Turkey, Albania, Iceland, Japan, United Kingdom, Austria and India.
This year’s Sea Pearl was indeed special, and the biggest so far, thanks to all those who have recognized importance of this project, and got involved in it, either through organizational team, competitions, or simply attendance and media coverage. With 20 participating countries, Supetar turned into a small world, warmly welcoming professionals from all over the world.
Sea Pearl began with the competition of schools. Grand opening was at the Riva in Supetar, and for the first time restaurant from Supetar made a presentation of traditional dishes.
We planned that Sea Pearl will have 24 hours of non-stop cooking, but that plan was exceeded, with 36 hours of cooking, judging and sometime even real sport cheering.
In co-operation with the Tourist Board of Supetar and Cultural Centre of Island Brač, participants visited important island’s landmarks like Blaca Hermitage, Dragon’s Cave, stone cutting school in Pučišća, olive oil plant in Postira, Saint Roche cycling trail from Supetar to Sutivan, Stina vineyards and wine cellar in Bol. It was a great opportunity to present a story about Brač through its stone, olives, oil, grapes, wine and sheep.
Globally known and recognized chefs performed truly sensational master classes, completely free:
- Gary Filbey (United Kingdom) Beef Wellington
- Sokol Prenga (Albania) Modern Cuisine
- Amano Yuhei (Japan) Tuna in Japanese Cuisine
- Maria Shramko (Iceland) Floral Decorations Made of Sugar
- Marinis Giannis & Ypokamisas Aggelos (Greece) Chocolate Desserts
- Sxoulis Nikos & Ntalampiras Ioannis (Greece) Traditional Desserts
ACMER’s Honorary President and founder of the association and this festival Miro Bogdanović visited Sea Pearl. Competition followed the highest standards thanks to dedication and work of ACMER’s President Željko Neven Bremec, Vice-presidents Marija Lulić and Hrvoje Zirojević, and chairman of the jury Iztok Legat (Slovenia).
Many chefs and restaurant owners arrived to Supetar to get new skills and experiences, expand their professional networks, and even to find new members of their teams. Also, representatives of institutions, high ranking officials and diplomats attended Pearl of the sea.
Medals by categories
SCHOOL COMPETITION
| HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM HIGH SCHOOLS | HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM FACULTIES |
| Gold medal | Gold medal |
| Srednja gostinjska ni turističina šola Radovljica | Škola za srednje i više stručno obrazovanje „ Sergije Stanić“ |
| Silver medal | Silver medal |
| Srednja šola za gostinstvo in turizem v Ljubljani | Višja strokovna šola za gostinstvo in turizem Bled Tim 2 |
| Srednja skola “Danilo Kis” Budva | Bronze medal |
| Škola za srednje i više stručno obrazovanje „ Sergije Stanić“ | The Academy of Hotel Management and Catering Industry Poznan – Poland -TIM 2 |
| Bronze medal | Višja strokovna šola za gostinstvo in turizem Bled Tim 1 |
| SREDNJA ŠOLA ZA GOSTINSTVO IN TURIZEM MARIBOR | Visoka škola strukovnih studija MPK |
| SREDNJA ŠKOLA METKOVIĆ | ADNAN MENDERES UNIVERSETI |
| Turističko- ugostiteljska škola, Split | Diploma: |
| Srednja škola (resursni centar) iz Kotora | HTEK KNTEU |
| SOU NAUM NAUMOVSKI – BORCE Krusevo | The Academy of Hotel Management and Catering Industry Poznan – Poland – TIM 1 |
| Turističko- ugostiteljska škola, Šibenik | |
| Diploma: | |
| SSŠ „Blaž Jurjev Trogiranin“ | |
| Srednja škola “Brač” Supetar | |
| Privatna gimnazija i turističko ugostiteljska škola Jure Kuprešak, Zagreb (PGITUŠ JURE KUPREŠAK) | |
| Srednja škola “Josif Josifovski”-Gevgelija, Macedonia |
| CATEGORY RISOTTO | CATEGORY CHICKEN | CATEGORY FISH | CATEGORY FISH |
| SILVER MEDAL: | GOLD MEDAL | GOLD MEDAL | GOLD MEDAL |
| NIKOLA MISHKOVSKI | ZORAN ANDONOV | MILICA BUŠKOVIĆ | BOBAN SIMONOVSKI |
| GORAN STANIČIĆ | SILVER MEDAL | MARIJA KANDIĆ | ZORAN ANDONOV |
| TONI BOBAN | MILE BOŠKOVIĆ | GORAN STANIČIĆ | MUHITTIN CAN DANACI |
| MILICA BUŠKOVIĆ | NENAD PECIKOZA | TONI BOBAN | NEJDET EFETÜRK |
| MOMČILO TOMAŠEVIĆ | BRONZE MEDAL | BOBAN SIMONOVSKI | SILVER MEDAL |
| DADA MARČIĆ | SEAD SMAJIĆ | NIKOLA MISHKOVSKI | KIRIL GJORGJOV |
| MILE BOŠKOVIĆ | KRISTIAN KOZMIĆ | STIPE VUJEVIĆ | NEVEN KORADE |
| ALEKSANDAR SIMJANOVSKI | NEJDET EFETÜRK | ALEKSANDAR SIMJANOVSKI | ALEKSANDAR SIMJANOVSKI |
| SANDRA ŠORE | MUHITTIN CAN DANACI | DEJAN KARAPEEV | JADRAN GRANČIĆ |
| MARTIN KRASŇANSKÝ | ZEKI BIRKAN UZ | SILVER MEDAL: | OĞUZHAN ÖZTÜRK |
| MARC PAVEL | MILOŠ MILOŠEVIĆ | PETAR VLAK | MUHAMMET YÜKSEL |
| BRONZE MEDAL | ZORAN MAJNOVSKI | ANA BOŽNAR | GORAN STANIČIĆ |
| AMANO YUHEI | ALEKSANDAR ĐORĐEVIĆ | NEJDET EFETÜRK | ANTONIO TOPČIĆ |
| PETAR VLAK | NIKOLA RADONJIĆ | ANTONIO TOPČIĆ | NEJLA BULIĆ ŠARIĆ |
| JADRAN GRANČIĆ | PAVLE ĆETKOVIĆ | BOBAN BILBILOVSKI | STIPE VUJEVIĆ |
| HASAN KORAY YILDIZ | DIPLOMA | MARC PAVEL | MARTIN KRASŇANSKÝ |
| FILIP PALFI | NEJLA BULIĆ ŠARIĆ | MILE BOŠKOVIĆ | NENAD PECIKOZA |
| SILVIJA MATKOVIĆ | LUKÁŠ MESÁROŠ | MATKO BUKOVEC | DEJAN KARAPEEV |
| JURE ERLIĆ | BOBAN BILBILOVSKI | MUHITTIN CAN DANACI | BRONZE MEDAL: |
| DIPLOMA | NEDIM HODŽIĆ | IACOPO BABUDRI | TONI BOBAN |
| MIRELA JAKŠIĆ | GÜRAY YILDIZ | MATESLAV KOVAČEVIĆ | LUKÁŠ MESÁROŠ |
| BOBAN SIMONOVSKI | MARTIN KRASŇANSKÝ | DARIO LIDE | |
| MUHAMMET YÜKSEL | DADA MARČIĆ | YASHCHYSHYN OLEH | |
| NEVEN KORADE | PETAR VLAK | ||
| OĞUZHAN ÖZTÜRK | DIPLOMA | ||
| BRONZE MEDAL: | SANDRA ŠORE | ||
| JADRAN GRANČIĆ | SILVIJA MATKOVIĆ | ||
| MUHAMMET YÜKSEL | |||
| NIKOLA RADONJIĆ | |||
| DZHYHIN ANDRIY | |||
| LUCA GIOIELLO | |||
| LISKO MYKOLA | |||
| HASAN KORAY YILDIZ | |||
| NEDIM HODŽIĆ |
| GOLD MEDAL: | CHICKEN (JUNIORS) | CATEGORY VEGE | CATEGORY PASTA |
| LIVE CARVING | GOLD MEDAL: | GOLD MEDAL: | GOLD MEDAL: |
| ANDŻELIKA GOŁĘBIOWSKA | ROŽLE ŽAN BRELIH | NIKOLA MISHKOVSKI | STIPE VUJEVIĆ |
| CARVING DISPLAY | ANTE TOTIĆ | SILVER MEDAL: | LUCA GIOIELLO |
| ANDŻELIKA GOŁĘBIOWSKA | BRONČANA MEDALJA: | DEJAN KARAPEEV | TIMOTEJ ROŽIČ |
| CAKES | NADA MAČEK | IACOPO BABUDRI | TONI BOBAN |
| SILVER MEDAL: | JOSIP VRSALOVIĆ | ZORAN MAJNOVSKI | SILVER MEDAL: |
| ANASTASIYA KALUPANOVICH | DIPLOMA | BRONZE MEDAL: | LEVIN DMYTRO |
| VITA KOVTUN | LUKA RADIĆ | GÜRAY YILDIZ | NEJLA BULIĆ ŠARIĆ |
| PETAR LAZARAREVIĆ | KOSTIANTYN BORSHCHEVSKYI | NIKOLA ČELIĆ | JADRAN GRANČIĆ |
| SILVER MEDAL: | MIKOŁAJ OKUPSKI | LUKÁŠ MESÁROŠ | ČEDO TRIFUNOVIĆ |
| DADA MARČIĆ | JUNIORS FISH | ANA TODOROVIĆ | NEVEN KORADE |
| RENATA PALAJSA | SILVER MEDAL: | MILICA BUŠKOVIĆ | MARC PAVEL |
| ALEKSANDRA MARKOVIĆ | GREGOR POTOČNIK | LUCA GIOIELLO | KARLO KRALJEVIĆ |
| MILICA ĐUKIĆ | LUKA RADIĆ | MUHITTIN CAN DANACI | SEAD SMAJIĆ |
| BRONZE MEDAL: | BRONZE MEDAL: | DIPLOMA | IACOPO BABUDRI |
| RENATA PALAJSA | ROŽLE ŽAN BRELIH | NENAD PECIKOZA | MATESLAV KOVAČEVIĆ |
| MILICA ĐUKIĆ | JOSIP VRSALOVIĆ | CINZIA MERIGIOLLI | ANTONIO TOPČIĆ |
| SWEETS DISPLAY | DIPLOMA | DADA MARČIĆ | |
| GOLD MEDAL: | NADA MAČEK | JURE ERLIĆ | |
| LARYSA RYBCHUK | FISH STEW | BRONZ MEDAL: | |
| TUBA GEÇKIL | GOLD MEDAL: | BERNARD BUŠIĆ | |
| TUĞBA YAVAŞÇA | DRAGICA DADA MARČIĆ | FILIP PALFI | |
| ELÇIN DUYGU TUĞCU | BARIS ONDAS | ||
| NESLIHAN MENTEŞ | SILVER MEDAL: | ||
| ELÇIN DUYGU TUĞCU | SILVIJA MATKOVIĆ | ||
| BETÜL ÇELEBI | BRONČANA MEDALJA: | ||
| İNCI EROL | NEDJET EFETURK | ||
| TUBA GEÇKIL | MILOŠ MILOŠEVIĆ | ||
| SILVER MEDAL: | |||
| OKSANA DUBCHAK | |||
| VICTORIA CHIBISOVN | |||
| PINAR ARAN | |||
| BETÜL ÇELEBI | |||
| ÖZLEM EKŞI | |||
| TUĞBA YAVAŞÇA |
The most successful chefs of the Pearl of the sea are:
- NIKOLA MISHKOVSKI, Macedonia – GOLD MEDAL
- ALEKSANDAR SIMJANOVSKI, Macedonia – SILVER MEDAL
- GORAN STANIČIĆ, Croatia– BRONZE MEDAL
Association of Chefs from Mediterranean and European Regions named its new 2016-2020 Ambassadors. Their task is to promote ACMER’s activities, especially the Pearl of the sea as its most important event.
Aggelos Ypokamisas – Greece
Anil Grover – India
Anna Gasanova – Ukraine
Branko Ognjenović – Central Croatia
Emrah Koksal Sezgin – Turkey
Gary Filbey – United Kingdom
Goran Staničić – Riviera Makarska, Croatia
Hamid Hadžić – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Iztok Legat – Slovenia
Josip Carević – Austria
Marc Pavel – Italy
Maria Shramko – Iceland
Nenad Živanović – Serbia
Nikolay Baratov – Russian Federation
Roman David Tauber – Poland
Sokol Prenga – Albania
Stevo Karapandža – Kvarner and Istria, Croatia
Vuksan Mitrović – Montenegro
Zoran Krsteski – Macedonia
This year we have also awarded a title of Knight, as a special recognition for individuals with merits in supporting and improving gastronomy:
KNIGHT OF GASTRONOMY (MEDIA)
KARIN MIMICA, travel journalist, founder and manager of Gastronaut Club; publisher of Top 100 Restaurants guidebook
KNIGHT OF GASTRONOMY (PUBLIC FIGURES)
TONĆI BILIĆ, Mayor of Makarska
KNIGHT OF GASTRONOMY (PROFESSIONALS)
IZTOK LEGAT, for his contribution to profession improvements, mentorship, organization and coverage all major culinary competitions
ACMER also awarded a title of Master Chef, for individuals who showed exceptional knowledge and skills, as well as contributed to oenology and gastronomy culture in Republic of Croatia.
MASTER CHEF FIRST CLASS – Stevo Karapandža
MASTER CHEFS – Toni Boban, Dragica Marčić i Nikola Mishkovski
Host of the whole program was popular singer-comedian Ćubi, and all guests had a great time entertained by performers Morbin, DJ Dado and Providenca.
