A new series of events has begun in Plešivica, bringing together local produce, wine, expertise and contemporary gastronomy to shape a new story of Zagreb County as a destination.
How can local produce be transformed into a contemporary dish? What place should Zagreb County wines have on restaurant wine lists? What does excellent service mean to the guest? How important are education, curiosity, and private initiative to restaurant development? These were the key topics of the first educational event held as part of the From Soil to Signature project at Korak Restaurant in Plešivica.
The Zagreb County Tourist Board implements the project, in cooperation with its partner JRE Croatia and with support from the Croatian National Tourist Board, to connect local producers, winemakers, and hospitality professionals while raising the quality of the destination’s gastronomic offer over the long term.
The first event, entitled “Zagreb County Gastronomy: From Local Produce to the Guest Experience”, brought together restaurateurs, producers, winemakers, chefs, sommeliers and other stakeholders from the local gastronomy scene.
Ivana Alilović, Director of the Zagreb County Tourist Board, emphasised:
“A destination’s gastronomic identity is built over many years through its people, their knowledge and their connection to the place they come from. Its strength lies in the relationship between producers, winemakers and hospitality professionals, and in the quality that guests recognise throughout every aspect of their experience.
Through the From Soil to Signature project, the Zagreb County Tourist Board is creating the conditions for these connections to become an established and lasting practice. Through education and mentoring, we want to make the expertise of our leading restaurants accessible to the wider hospitality community. In this spirit, we are also developing our cooperation with Restaurant Cantilly, because individual experience and expertise gain even greater value when they contribute to others' development.
The success of this project will be reflected in everyday business: stronger cooperation with local suppliers, a more thoughtfully designed food and wine offer, higher standards of service and a more compelling presentation of our region. In this way, local products gain greater value and quality becomes a hallmark of the destination. We want guests to understand where they have arrived through food, wine and hospitality, to meet the people behind them and to leave with a reason to return. This is the distinctive gastronomic identity of Zagreb County that we are building for the long term.”
From a Good Product to a Distinctive Restaurant Identity
The central panel addressed topics that directly affect the day-to-day operation of restaurants: the availability and continuity of local produce, relationships between producers and hospitality professionals, the development of a clear concept, the role of local wines, the quality of service, and the way all these elements come together to shape the guest experience.
The discussion featured Ivana Alilović, chefs Bernard Korak and Tibor Valinčić, sommeliers and maîtres d’ Dinko Lozica and Branimir Vukšić, as well as Hungry Mile, who has followed the development of Zagreb County’s gastronomic offer through a long-standing collaboration with the Tourist Board.
One key conclusion was that local provenance alone is not enough: restaurants and producers must build relationships based on quality, continuity, and an understanding of both sides' needs. Continuous education is equally important. Institutions and projects can create opportunities for learning and networking, but ultimately, quality improvements depend on individual initiative and a willingness to put acquired knowledge into practice.
“If we want stronger Croatian gastronomy in the long term, knowledge sharing cannot remain confined to a handful of leading restaurants. One of the key roles of JRE Croatia is precisely to share experience, create space for dialogue and demonstrate that quality is built every day – through education, working with people, excellent produce and a willingness to continually reassess our own standards. From Soil to Signature is particularly important because it connects knowledge directly with practice and the realities of running a hospitality business,” said Vjeko Basić, President of JRE Croatia.
Korak as an Example of Generational Transformation
A special part of the event focused on a case study of Korak Restaurant, which now holds one Michelin star but did not begin its journey as a fine-dining concept.
For years, the Korak family ran a traditional rural establishment in Plešivica while developing their own winemaking story. With the arrival of a new generation, the business model gradually evolved: Bernard Korak took responsibility for developing the cuisine, Vera Korak for service and the guest experience, while Josip Korak, representing the second generation of winemakers, continues to develop the family winery.
Vera Korak described the transformation from a traditional countryside establishment into a contemporary restaurant as a process that did not result from a single major decision, but from years of education, travel, seeking new knowledge, professionalising roles, and continuously putting what she learned into practice. The Korak example demonstrated how a new generation can build on what the previous generation created without losing its connection to family, place and heritage.
During the practical part of the programme, chefs Tibor Valinčić and Bernard Korak prepared contemporary interpretations of two local ingredients – pumpkin, and cottage cheese and cream – demonstrating how a local product can be transformed into a dish that fits naturally within a contemporary restaurant concept.
Sommeliers and maîtres d’ Dinko Lozica and Branimir Vukšić led a separate part of the workshop dedicated to wine pairing and the guest experience, covering wine selection, the principles behind successful pairings, and the role of service in bringing together food, wine, produce and place into a cohesive experience.
Cantilly Selected for the Mentoring Programme
Education is only one part of the From Soil to Signature project. Following a selection process, Restaurant Cantilly was chosen for the individual mentoring programme. The project’s expert team will work directly with the restaurant’s team on specific areas of its operations and the further development of its offer.
“For our team, mentoring represents an opportunity to develop further and strengthen the direction we have been pursuing through our work to date. Our philosophy is based on high-quality, seasonal ingredients, thoughtful gastronomy and bringing food, wine and service together into a complete guest experience. Through the mentoring programme, we want to view our existing concept with fresh eyes, identify opportunities for improvement, and turn good practices into clear, sustainable long-term standards. We believe that exchanging knowledge and experience will help us continue to develop what we have built so far in a consistent and high-quality way,” said the Restaurant Cantilly team.
Talent & Passion – Harvest – ŽETVA
The next major stage of the project was announced by Lucija Bilandžić Matić, Country Manager of JRE Croatia. Talent & Passion: Harvest will take place on 17 October 2026 at Vršilnica in Zaprešić. Bringing together local producers, winemakers and JRE chefs, ŽETVA will showcase Zagreb County through its people, products and contemporary gastronomic interpretations.
Unlike the educational format of the first event, Harvest will translate the project’s principles into a tangible destination experience, combining local products with the chefs’ signature approaches, wines from Zagreb County, and a shared table as a meeting place for producers, hospitality professionals and guests.
In this way, From Soil to Signature connects three levels of development: education and knowledge sharing, individual mentoring, and showcasing Zagreb County’s gastronomic potential through the guest experience.
The aim is not to define a single gastronomic style for Zagreb County, but to create an environment in which its restaurants, winemakers and producers can develop their quality, strengthen their connections and transform their strengths into new reasons to visit the destination.
The From Soil to Signature project continues by engaging local stakeholders and developing initiatives that directly connect gastronomy, wine, restaurants and producers with the destination itself. The agreement with the Karlovac County Tourist Board expands this framework and lays the foundation for a systematic and collaborative presentation of the wine and gastronomic offer of continental Croatia.
