Pastry chef Tea Vunić from Zijavica restaurant (Croatia) will be a member of the jury of the 7th European Young Chef Award, to be held in Le Touquet (France) on 20-24 November 2023.
Passionate about her work, striving for excellence through learning, punctilious and focused; these are some of the attributes that describe Tea Vunić, Pastry Chef at restaurant Zijavica, in Mošćenička draga (Kvarner, European Region of Gastronomy candidate 2026), that she runs together with her husband, chef Stiven Vunić.
Although she did not attend cooking school, Tea started studying hard to become a pastry chef as soon as she realised that cooking was her true passion. She attended a number of training course and obtained several certificates, including: AZRRI – Creative Pastry (2021); AZRRI – Breads (2020); Culinary Institute, Kul IN, Programme on Pastry and Confections – Professional Pastry Chef (2019); Gourmandise – Valentine’s a la Francaise (2017); Gourmandise – Classique Patisserie Revisite (2016); Gourmandise – Les Entremets Francaises (2016); AZRRI – Filled Pastries (2016); AZRRI – Restaurant Desserts (2016); and AZRRI – Pastry & Varieties of Flours (2016).
Well aware of her responsibility of managing the family restaurant, Tea works with diligence and determination, always aiming to deliver excellence to her guests. She combines classical, French-school techniques with a deeply terroir-oriented approach, favouring local ingredients such as Lovran chestnuts, Lovran cherries, figs, flower honey, honey-dew, almonds, nuts, and many other products that her region offers. In line with the overall philosophy of restaurant Zijavica, her pasta dishes, homemade breads, cakes, cookies and other sweet creations are very much inspired by the gastronomy of Kvarner region.
Located on the lovely pebble beach of the fishing village Mošćenička draga, in the Kvarner bay, which is famous for its langoustines, restaurant Zijavica stands for taste of the place, due to its focus on local produce: “My family owns one of the very last fishing boats that still fish for langoustines in a traditional way, with special langoustines nets,” explains Tea.
As a member of JRE-Jeunes Restaurateurs, Zijavica is “committed to safeguarding its terroir by serving fresh, regional ingredients sourced from local farms, with the highest level of quality.”
Zijavica’s most recent achievements include: 3 forks, Falstaff Austria 2023; 16/20 points and 3 toques, Gault & Millau Croatia 2023; the Creative Urban Cuisine award at Dobri restorani 2023, the largest national restaurant competition in Croatia.
“The European Young Chef Award is a true example of how to nurture and encourage young people to the great challenges that the chef’s vocation entails. The most effective way to learn is to do so with your mentors and models, and participating in such an important competition certainly represents a great experience. I look forward to participating as a jury member and meeting the young finalists, while at the same time representing my fabulous Kvarner region,” states Tea.
“Being part of the European Young Chef Award makes me feel proud of being in such a creative and fulfilling industry. Because being a chef gives you the opportunity to make people happy, and this is the message I would like to send to the finalists. Let us jury be the wind into their sails on their way to become the great chefs of tomorrow!” she concludes.
About IGCAT’s European Young Chef Award
The European Young Chef Award is an annual competition organised by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Art and Tourism (IGCAT) that gathers young culinary talents from the awarded and candidate European Regions of Gastronomy. Selected each year through local contests, finalists to the European Young Chef Award compete by innovating traditional recipes from their regions using local ingredients.
The 7th edition of the European Young Chef Award is organised and promoted by IGCAT and hosted by Hauts-de-France, European Region of Gastronomy awarded 2023. The competition will be held at the Lycée Hôtelier Le Touquet on 20-24 November 2023 and is supported by Hauts-de-France 2023 consortium members: Chambre d’Agriculture Hauts de France; CCI Hauts de France; Chambre des Métiers et de l’Artisanat Hauts de France; Hauts de France Tourisme; Plateforme des Organisme du Tourisme; UMIH Union des Métiers et des Industrie de l’Hôtellerie; UniLaSalle; Programme Investissement Avenir; Caisse des dépôts; GIP Forinval Amiens; Région Académique Hauts de France; and Région Hauts de France.
About the World/European Regions of Gastronomy
World/European Regions of Gastronomy, guided by IGCAT, are working together to strengthen food security through the celebration of distinctive food cultures; create employment by stimulating creativity and gastronomic innovation; nourish children and adults through culinary and cultural education; driving environmental sustainability in tourism, hospitality and agricultural sectors; supporting balance and sustainable tourism practices; highlighting and supporting expertise from within rural and urban communities, creating connections and sharing good practices; and contributing to community health and well-being.
About IGCAT
IGCAT aims to empower local communities by raising awareness of the importance of protecting and promoting distinct regional food, culture, arts and natural assets as part of sustainable and balanced tourism and development strategies. This is essential to safeguarding our planet, health, wellness and local economies.
IGCAT is a non-profit institute established in 2012, working with regional stakeholder consortiums in the fields of gastronomy, culture, arts and tourism. It counts on the expertise of a worldwide network of experts and works in partnership with specialised intergovernmental organisations.
IGCAT founded the World/European Region of Gastronomy Award and is the official secretariat for the World/European Regions of Gastronomy Platforms. Furthermore, the Institute has developed the European Young Chef Award, the World Food Gift Challenge, the Top Websites for Foodie Travelers Award and the international Food Film Menu.