Spring 2026: Applications Open for the New Workshop Cycle
Gastronomic quality does not emerge spontaneously. It is the result of continuous education, a deep understanding of local resources, and clear operational organisation. At the Educational Gastronomy Centre of Istria, operating within the Agency for Rural Development of Istria, AZRRI, we have been building precisely this model for the past ten years. Our goal is to connect agriculture, the kitchen, and the market into a functional, sustainable system that delivers measurable results.
The Spring 2026 cycle confirms our direction. We have focused the programme on themes that determine the long-term competitiveness of restaurants and hotels: quality control, rational use of ingredients, seasonality, and precision in execution. These are segments that do not create short-term effects, but establish stable professional standards.
Through the workshops, we address the optimisation of hotel buffet operations with Mario Čepek, the standardisation of Istrian meat classics with Zdravko Tomšić, the development of kid goat as a market-relevant product with Mario Mihelj, and the analysis of meat from indigenous Istrian breeds led by Gregor Jelnikar. We place special emphasis on working with meat in the context of autochthonous breeds. Through a professional approach to cutting, ageing, and thermal processing, we directly connect gastronomy with the preservation of livestock heritage and the valorisation of local production.
The authorial dimension of the cycle is shaped by Gregor Vračko and Damir Tomljanović, who guide participants through the process of creating a dish from the initial idea to precise execution. Hrvoje Kroflin presents the spring menu as a model for seasonal kitchen organisation. Through two workshops, Robert Perić highlights the importance of technological discipline, from the artisanal precision of biscuits to sous vide systems that ensure repeatability and quality control.
Our approach is systematic. We do not speak only about recipes. We speak about understanding the structure of ingredients, the economics of processes, and responsibility towards producers. A chef who understands the entire value chain works with greater confidence and long-term sustainability.
We see gastronomy as a powerful branding tool for Istria, but also as a concrete development mechanism for rural areas. Through the education of chefs, we stimulate demand for local products and build a more stable value chain.
Over the past ten years, we have organised more than 260 workshops, and more than 2,500 professionals from the hospitality and hotel sector have passed through the Centre. The Spring 2026 cycle continues this continuity, with a clear focus on quality that can be measured in practice and applied immediately in the kitchen.
Applications are open at www.egci.azrri.hr
. Participants from the County of Istria are entitled to 50% co-financing thanks to project partners.
