As part of the CIREVALC project, our partner AZRRI – Agency for Rural Development of Istria Ltd. Pazin successfully implemented a series of innovative culinary workshops focused on sustainable cooking and food waste reduction. These sessions took place at the Educational Gastronomic Centre of Istria (EGCI) and equipped participants with practical, environmentally conscious cooking skills.
Led by renowned chef Zdravko Tomšić, a pioneer of Croatia’s Slow Food movement, the workshops offered immersive learning experiences on how to use every part of the ingredient—reducing waste while preparing high-quality meals.
🍽 Workshop Highlights
- No Waste – Meat | 27 November 2024
- No Waste – Fish | 28 November 2024
- No Waste – Vegetables | 4 December 2024
These workshops served as both skills training and awareness-raising events, engaging food professionals and SMEs from the region in a meaningful shift toward circular practices in gastronomy.
Part of the CIREVALC Pilot Action in Croatia
These successful cooking sessions were not isolated educational events—they were core activities within the Istrian Regional Pilot Action under the CIREVALC Circular Community Accelerator, a key innovation of the project.
Based on micro-level analysis and interviews conducted in earlier stages of the project, the pilot plan identified significant gaps in awareness and practical knowledge related to circular economy practices among SMEs in the food and catering sector in Istria. Although many respondents claimed circularity was a strategic concern, further investigation revealed a lack of concrete action, planning, or knowledge.
By organising thematic no-waste cooking workshops, AZRRI directly addressed these gaps—offering participants not only hands-on culinary training, but also a platform for dialogue and reflection on sustainable practices. The workshops are among several actions piloted by AZRRI to implement and test the CIREVALC Circular Community Accelerator at the local level.
These pilot activities contribute to CIREVALC’s broader goal of scaling circular economy models in regional value chains across Central Europe. In Istria, this pilot action has shown how practical education and local engagement can catalyse systemic change.
We thank all participants and collaborators for their engagement and commitment. Stay tuned for further pilot results and insights from the CIREVALC network!