On Tuesday 5th December 2017, Gastro Get (Mazzgoon, Uje, O'Zlata, Galerija, Rodrigo) held a press conference in Mazzgoon restaurant to announce the upcoming event which, for the first time, has support from the Tourist Board and City of Split.
Even though I grew up with a summer Christmas, there is no denying the magic of a winter Christmas and Advent! We all know by now that Zagreb offers an incredible Advent programme and while I love the city, I have to admit, I think I will always be a Dalmatian at heart. Year after year, Split is improving its touristic offer, moving from a transit destination to a destination in and of itself – and rightly so. This city has such incredible potential and I am hopeful that over the coming years, the Advent programme will continue to improve. And, with initiatives like the Gastro Get Festival, this is absolutely possible.
Gastro Get is a festival of food; the concept came about last year as a way to increase the offering for Advent, especially in regards to gastronomy and draw more people into the city centre. This year, Gastro Get is inspired by the regions and traditions of Croatia. Over 4 weeks, restaurants – Mazzgoon, Uje and O’Zlata will present the gastronomy of Croatia: Islands, Istria, Traditional Bakalar and Slavonia, while Galerija and Rodrigo Bar will host ‘After Parties’ to keep the Christmas spirit going into the night.
But Gastro Get is more than just the food and drinks, the very premise of the event is about collaboration; individual business owners coming together to make a rich offer for the public and, from its beginning, the festival has also been supported by the Tourist Board of Split and since this year, the City of Split has stepped forward to support Gastro Get.
Today, Gastro Get held a press conference in Mazzgoon restaurant to officially announce the event, it was led by Sara Alfirević Vrsalović (Mazzgoon Food) and Vedran Sučić (Uje); in attendance were all Gastro Get participants, Alijana Vukšić (Director of the Split Tourist Board), Deputy Mayor Jelena Hrgović, Ana Lončar and ‘friends of the event’, including one of the sponsors – Plančić Winery.
“We are pleased to show citizens and guests that our gastronomic offer is not only based on Christmas houses, but also on the caterers who have their facilities in the city centre. This is one of the beautiful Advent stories told this year, and we have a chance to see it in a new dress because we fused it together with the lighting of the Advent Candle. Now Gastro Get is connected with Advent and we have a project that brings together all of these restaurants to tell a story about the regions of Croatia during this time. We are showing the richness of our gastronomic offer and we believe it will appeal to even the most demanding palates.”
Deputy mayor Jelena Hrgović explained that she often ate at this festival and that it was easy for the city to support the project when they saw that enthusiastic people were a part of it.
"This is a beautiful story of how we can bring life back into the city and the old city centre by coming together. I am glad that we are united here and are able to gather around a table, around a plate, to socialize over a meal, just as we would traditionally gather around the table this holiday season, and slowly draw more people and into our city and to the streets to bring brightness into the city. The invitation is primarily addressed to our fellow citizens, which is why the caterers from the Get are united in this idea.”
Vedran Sučić emphasised the importance of the synergy of this event, highlighting the fact that this is the first time all elements are coming together – private restaurant owners, sponsors, the city of Split, the Tourist Board and of course, support from all media. Alijana Vukšić and Jelena Hrgović reiterated this point when they spoke and also praised the Gastro Get members, saying that it is because of people like this and their enthusiasm that the city will continue to move forwards; Alijana also said that she hopes this festival continues for many years. This message was also felt in the room, as the Gastro Get team and Mazzgoon staff, created a warm and relaxed environment in Mazzgoon restaurant.
After the press conference, everyone walked to Uje Wine Bar to see a beautiful Nativity scene created by Ana Lončar...
Before warming back up in Mazzgoon Restaurant with a tipple of grappa or vino and a gorgeous spread of food.
We will release all programme details later, but for now, put Friday 8th December in your calendar – Gasto Get will have its opening party at O’Zlata Restaurant, tickets are 150 kn and all proceeds will be donated to Maestral Dom. The tickets can be purchased from Thursday at: Mazzgoon, Uje, O’Zlata or Galerija Bar and they include a night of food, wine (kindly donated by Plančić), music and dancing. A feel-good night to kick off the Advent season right!
You can see more from Gastro Get on their official Facebook page here.
All photos by Josip Rogosic
