March 11, 2020 - Since Zagreb is still not overabundant with restaurants that prepare high-quality steak, Ribafish spoke with Nikola Božić from the Đurina Hiža restaurant in Varaždinske toplice about his barbecuing skills, education, what they offer, as well as about the Wild West Fest on Fire 2020 competition in Slovenia.

Đurina Hiža is about a forty minute drive away from Zagreb, and the distance is proving not to be a problem for barbecue fans from Zagreb (and the rest of Croatia) who have recognised their product as superior.

Not everything is perfect with young Nikola Božić, he's had his ups and downs, but he dug his feet in, asked, searched and eventually - found his path. This man is dedicated to working hard, travelling, researching and tasting all over the world to do what's best for his customers and peacefully enjoy the fruits of his labour with his family and friends.

Ribafish says that he'll never forgive Nikola for keeping a tomahawk steak for him during the Advent before last, nor the fact that the tenth venison ćevap becomes hard although the first one was perfect, but this guy is just great to be around when he's working and when he's fooling around. And when Ribafish heard that Nikola applied on behalf of his team 385 by Reshetka for the World BBQ cup in Slovenia, as the first contestant ever from Croatia, he just had to go and have a drink with Nikola, talk a bit, and christen his aged Simmental cow. First, Ribafish spoke to Nikola, and later with the member of the organising team of SBBSQ from Slovenia, Peter Hajdu.

First of all, Nikola explained the three brands to Ribafish, Đurina Hiža, Reshetka and 385. It all started in 2007, when Nikola and his parents turned their lives around to start a restaurant called Đurina Hiža. It's not just a restaurant, it's their life, it's their story they built together. For the first seven years, things weren't easy, and in 2016 they started preparing more serious pieces of meat, and the rest is history. If you're curious, you should go to Varaždinske toplice to find out what he's talking about.

Reshetka is a mobile street food programme, a sub-brand of the family brand Đurina Hiža and is a ''side-effect'' of his amplitudes. A lot is known about the brand as well, it managed to attract an audience when it first appeared at the Zagreb Burger Festival in 2019. Their burger Stari moj won at the competition right away, and they've since won numerous awards, but Nikola doesn't want to brag about them.

Project 385 is still being developed, and you'll be able to hear more about it soon. The project was conceived and is to be realised by Nikola and his childhood friend Domagoj Cingula, Hana Klain is their PR person, it will be an original and a successful story.

Ribafish asked Nikola about the dry ageing chamber he recently purchased. Nikola says that around 200 kg of meat is always in there, ageing, and there are different breeds and cuts, and he's very satisfied with the chamber. He's learned a lot about meat ageing, and that the process is different from what people think. There are many details, it's not straightforward, he keeps learning new information, exchanging information with his colleagues about what to do. Nikola says he has 8 meat suppliers, he likes to be involved with them, visits them, talks to them about what they feed the animals, and the way they butcher the animals. Those are all important pieces of information, and without that, Nikola says they wouldn't be able to do what they're doing.

Ribafish asked Nikola what the guests of the Hiža can expect, and what they need to make a reservation for. Nikola says it's all about the flavours in the restaurant, the meat being soft after being done in a Kamado Grill.

Franjo and Andrija are waiters, and mother Biba, Ozren, Marin, Tea and Dragec can be found in the restaurant. The dad works in the vineyard and is in charge of charcuterie. The team is good, the flavours are full, the space is very nice, and the atmosphere pleasant. You should make a reservation during the weekend, but lately, it's not a bad idea to make a reservation during the weekdays as well. Call 042/668-148 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Next, we found out about the competition in Slovenia. Nikola says he always enjoys presenting his skills to the neighbours, and the people of Slovenia are very hospitable, with a great food scene, which is, of course, not without some challenges. The competition includes three days of smoking, not too many hours of sleep, competing with the best teams in the world. Nikola doesn't have high expectations, as it is their first competition, and he needs to prepare, train, and learn the strict rules for grading. They'll compete in four categories: ribs, pork, brisket and chicken.

Ribafish also met the contest organiser, Peter Hajdu from Ljubljana, a man who gets to live out his hobby and share joy wherever he can. Find out what he says about himself, his family, friends and his hobby which is taking over in the Balkans.

My name is Peter Hajdu and I've enjoyed cooking for as long as I can remember, my grandma and my parents passed that skill down to me, and my other brother also caught the bug. Some seven years ago the idea appeared for the blog/project/community Žarovnije, when nobody was doing American-style barbecues in Slovenia. Back then, we didn't know about baby back ribs or brisket, it's not all that widespread today either and even if somebody says they know about it, it turns out they don't...

The first thing I remember in my life is when I was three and barbecuing at my grandfather's and a storm hit all of a sudden, which made me remember that barbecue forever. I still have the flavour of that barbecue on my tongue - barbecued chicken, crunchy skin, molten and burnt fat flavour. That's it. Later, I found out that both the smoke and the fire were imbedded in our brains since time began when people managed to connect fire with roasted meat after a forest fire. It's entirely possible that it's how we started using fire to prepare food. The scientists say that it's the moment in which humans started using more energy for the development of the brain, and after that art, culture and enjoying others' company came about. You can say there's no happiness without good food!

When I was thirty I was able to go my own way, and my wife and I live in a small apartment. In the few square metres of the garden, the first gas grill found its place and after a few months two more appeared, American style, with a lid. That's when I realised I needed a smoker and got a Bullet smoker. In 2015, I met the people from the ProQ Smokers company in Cornwall, and became their representative immediately. I wrote an email, presented my blog and my Facebook, sent some photos and they let me know I was OK. They knew I'd not only sell, but also expand the proper philosophy and create my own path. And that's the philosophy, low&slow.

The rhythm of our lives has become too much. If you can't spend a Saturday in a month to prepare something on the grill, plan it, go shopping, invest some money to create food for the people you love, then screw it. Something's really not right here, and you only need one grill with a lid. Well, anything with fire is enough. I'm happy today because I realise I've done and learned a lot in the past five years, and now the entire world of cooking with fire is opening for me. It's a great world, we'll set the Balkans on fire!

I organised BBQ meetups with tastings - they were open for all. We gave up on that because too many people came just to eat for free. In 2016, the first Slovenian BBQ team for competitions was created: the Rebel BBQ Brothers (two of my brothers I share my mother with, and two more I share smoke with). We met our friends and people who work with us in the Slovenian BBQ Society (SBBQS) at the course for the KCBS judging license (Kansas City BBQ Society).

We decided to organise a KCBS competition in Slovenia, a world cup, the highest-ranked American BBQ competition. In 2016 the organisation started, and the following year, the Wild West Fest Country Festival got united with their competition. In the last three years their festival is ranked within the top three such events in Europe, and in 2020 the Wild West Fest on Fire Festival will take place on August 7th - 9th on Zbilje Lake, near Ljubljana. Visit it, if you can!
BBQ is a great way to forge new friendships. Over the years, I've met many people from all over the Balkans, and I wish that the BBQ community continues to expand further, creating teams from all countries in our region. That would be awesome. For 2020, my goal is to find teams to come to the Cup in Slovenia, and Nikola's Reshetka is team no. 1!

It takes a lot to raise awareness of ways to prepare meat, and the quality of the food takes even more work. Meat is a hot topic today. On one side you have veganism (I'm using the word deliberately) and on the other side our love for our culture, which has many meat-oriented traditions. A problem arose along the way, and for this industry. If you love your health and this planet of ours, look for high-quality local ingredients. Small eco farms are the answer to the horrors of industrialisation, and Žarovnije has lived that story since the beginning, we work with the best farms in Slovenia.

Those are all family stories. My story is also a family story. ProQ Smokers in England is a family story. Family, friends, neighbours, the street, the town, that is the strength of the high-quality nutrition and life and we'll see about the future when it comes! Soon, we'll connect with fans of the outdoor cooking philosophy in Croatia, so follow our Facebook. And we'd love to see you at the Wild West Fest on Fire 2020 Festival, as it will truly be great, you'll see.

https://ribafish.com/noviweb/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/57485319_10218304983803347_5729957298848137216_n_576x768-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="(max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px" width="576" height="768">

In the end, Ribafish wanted to add that you should consider going to Slovenia, seeing who's gotten closest to the American standards and maybe you'll get a new hobby. We swear that we'll help Nikola grade what he smokes, and we recommend that to anyone who enjoys good food.

Photos: Žarovnije, Ribafish, Vilicom kroz Hrvatsku

ZAGREB, March 11, 2020 - President Zoran Milanović on Wednesday expressed support to the Croatian Scientists for Climate - Appeal for Systematic Climate Action and their initiative to raise awareness of climate change and conduct activities to prevent the further worsening of that process globally.

Milanović and his special adviser for energy and climate, Julije Domac met with the delegation of scientists from the Ruđer Bošković Institute, Ivo Pilar Institute, Zagreb University's Geophysics Department of the Faculty of Science, and the Engineering and Shipbuilding Faculty, who expressed their concern due to the increasingly evident consequences of climate change and the lack of systematic debate on that topic in Croatia, the president's office said in a press release.

Having in mind the scientific findings concerning climate change, its cause, consequences, forecasts and prospects, the delegation called for ambitious measures to create the preconditions for a systematic and comprehensive approach to the climate crisis.

Milanović underscored the importance of science for the sustainable development of society and of timely scientific response to changes that are occurring in the environment and the preparedness to face the challenges of the day and of the future.

"It's time to turn to the highest standards in environment and nature protection. I am ready to help you to achieve your demands and I support them entirely. My vision is a Croatia as one of the EU leaders of clean energy and one of the first steps to achieve that vision is to raise awareness of Croatia's vulnerability and key risks," said Milanović.

More environment news can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 11, 2020 - The initiators of a new political party in Croatia, called "Stranka s imenom i prezimenom" (Party with a First and Last Name) held a press conference in Zagreb on Wednesday to present their platform, saying that they would insist on unpopular but necessary reforms and the fight against corruption.

"The result of this team's work is a political project which I believe will cause a political shock of final change after decades of stagnation in Croatia. We will insist on reforms because everyone's had enough of PR moves and cosmetics. We want to make radical changes," said one of the initiators of the party, MP and mayor of the southern town of Vrgorac Ante Pranić.

The party brings together people who have distinguished themselves in their professions and who have the knowledge, energy and will to change Croatia for the sake of future generations, he said.

Dalija Orešković, the former head of the Conflict of Interest Commission and the party's adviser on public administration and justice, said that they were seeking to attract other parties and individuals willing to work towards common objectives and interests.

She said that the parties that have ruled Croatia in the last 30 years have turned it into a country of injustice, a country of angry people, unemployed people and people with blocked accounts.

"We need to dismantle the present system and build a new one, but one person or one party is not enough to do that. That requires an alliance," Orešković said, adding that the dominant parties belonged to history because they were preoccupied only with history or with themselves.

The coordinator for economic affairs, Josip Budimir, said that the party would focus on combating corruption through the public and private sector, adding that other parties could not do this because it would destabilise them.

The party will seek to reduce the number of public sector employees, eliminate clientelism and create a public sector that meets the needs of the state. It plans to change the model of management of state-owned companies through selection of managers who have distinguished themselves in the public sector.

The mayor of Knin, Marko Jelić, said that among the main problems were management of state property, resources and the environment, as well as poor transport connectivity which makes life for people in small communities difficult.

The party initiators said they were ready to carry out their programme even at the cost of "disappearing" from political life after that.

More politics news can be found in the dedicated section.

March 11, 2020 - The management of the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) has adopted a new measure aimed at protecting spectators, clubs, players and competitions during the coronavirus outbreak.

The statement from the Croatian Football Federation is transmitted in full below:

“Taking into account the emerging circumstances regarding the epidemic of the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, today the leading people of the HNS and the relevant bodies of the Federation have re-analyzed the current situation and decided that all matches in competitions under the jurisdiction of the HNS will be played without spectators until March 31.

The new measure applies to the HT First League, Croatian Cup, 2. HNL, 3. HNL, 1. HNLŽ, 2. HNLŽ, 1. HMNL, 2. HMNL and all youth leagues under the auspices of HNS, as well as the upcoming UEFA qualifying matches that take place in Croatia.

In these competitions, only teams with their staff, senior management and officials of clubs and HNS, technical staff and a certain number of media representatives will be able to attend the matches until further notice, with all the usual measures for organizing matches.

The HNS also recommends that all county associations take the same measure in competitions under their jurisdiction.

As before, the HNS will closely monitor the development of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus epidemic and, if necessary, determine other measures to which the football family and the public will be informed in due time. The decision shall enter into force immediately and shall be valid until March 31 or the end of the representative break. The Federation will make a timely decision to continue or discontinue this measure, taking into account developments, recommendations from public health institutions, and considering, above all, the health of spectators, football players and all other actors in football.

You can find the Croatia Football Federation's statement in Croatian here.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.

Croatian ministers Zdravko Maric, Gari Cappelli, Davor Bozinovic, Darko Horvat and Josip Aladrovic, as well as HUP, HGK and HBOR leaders sat down to discuss coronavirus' effects on the economy.

As Novac writes on the 11th of March, 2020, the Croatian Ministry of Finance held a meeting with representatives of the Croatian Employers' Association, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and the Croatian Development Bank to discuss measures to counteract the impact of coronavirus on the economy and finances.

After the meeting, Finance Minister Zdravko Maric said that the meeting was a success and that he was pleased that all sectors had successfully cooperated.

''We all agreed that the first and basic variable that must be taken care of is precisely the preservation of jobs, but also the liquidity of all sectors. We all remember, not so long ago, when we were faced with a huge fall in jobs and how long it took to get things back to normal,'' said Maric, adding that such a scenario should not be repeated.

''We must also ensure an adequate flow of goods so that all companies can function normally. We've started creating framework measures that we will eventually all implement together,'' the minister said.

The Minister of Finance added that the consequences of the epidemic in Croatia are not yet ''catastrophic'', but also that no one can estimate how long this crisis will last or how much of an effect it will ultimately have on the economy.

''We started preparing the measures on time and we all agreed that safeguarding jobs is paramount, both in tourism that is at our door and in other sectors,'' said Cappelli of the meeting of Croatian ministers.

Numerous people in the hotel industry, as well as those in the hospitality sector, according to Cappelli, have already started preparing future staff, and for this reason we must show them that the situation is being monitored and assistance measures are being taken into account.

''We're also sending a message to our foreign partners that we can keep everything under control and that tourists can feel safe with us,'' he added.

HUP Director General Davor Majetic explained that he was pleased that they had found a common language with those in power at the meeting with Croatian ministers.

''The first objective, of course, is to provide adequate care for people's health, followed by car for jobs and business activity. I'm glad we started a very open conversation,'' he said.

Maric emphasised once again that the most important thing was that those in power, as well as the representatives of the private sector, have started to develop a crisis plan on time.

''As the situation develops, we'll adapt as such. We'll try to anticipate all the possible threats that the crisis will cause,'' said Maric once again, adding that the most important thing is to secure wage payments and job retention, and that they don't want to compare Croatia with other countries. Among other things, he said another meeting among Croatian ministers would be held next week.

He also said that already in the existing tax system, they have introduced a delay in the repayment of loans in crisis situations, and that on that same line, they plan to work on measures for all those affected by coronavirus. In addition, he added that there was a possibility of introducing further tax relief to entrepreneurs.

''We hope to have some more concrete proposals for the measures next week,'' Majetic added.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for more.

As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to rock the global economy, those working in the Croatian tourism industry are already feeling the consequences.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 11th of March, 2020, as many as two-thirds (66 percent) of Croatian companies are already feeling the negative effects of the coronavirus situation in their business operations, and more than half, as many as 53 percent, have experienced a drop in turnover, according to a poll recently conducted by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK).

Travel agencies, those who deal with accommodation, food preparation and logistics companies are among the hardest hit, and small and medium-sized businesses operating within the Croatian tourism industry are feeling more negatively impacted than large companies are, according to Glas Istre.

Thus, the coronavirus situation could have far-reaching negative effects on Istrian tourism and the economy, and the first being hit are those in hospitality, hoteliers, travel agencies, and private renters. In discussions with individuals from these sectors, let's look at the reactions to the current situation with coronavirus in Istria and the forecasts.

Oliver Juric, co-owner of a travel agency: Although they've paid, many aren't coming:

Bookings have stopped. If the situation doesn't calm down, we could quickly lose up to forty percent of traffic. Group arrivals aren't being sold now, and although they've paid, many won't take their trips because of fear. We're following everything with great caution and we're hoping that the situation will calm down. The question now is what the situation will be in April and May, and if the panic doesn't cease, we'll lose groups during those months, and then the question is what will happen next. If we pull out of this in spring, then we could save ourselves and we'll somehow get somethng out of the season, but if this condition continues, it will be difficult.

Our Austrian partner has stopped their sales because everyone is in awe, nobody wants to travel. The Swiss are in a panic as well, and they're starting to cancel because more cases have occurred. If the situation in Italy escalates, we can forget the preseason. This is the chain reaction that will most hit people in the Croatian tourism industry, perhaps hospitality workers the most. If the groups don't come, the restaurants will be empty and those working in hospitality will have nobody to serve.

We're all generally very concerned. The worst is the "status quo" and what people don't know is what awaits them. There is no booking and everything has stopped and no one knows how long all of this will go on for. We're powerless at the moment. If everything stops right now, it's hard to predict what Easter and May Day will be like. I sincerely hope that the situation will settle down by the beginning of the main season. But right now it's dramatic! People have been investing in accommodation, they're now burdened with loans they've taken out, and they don't know if they will have any guests.

Veljko Ostojic, Director of the Croatian Tourism Association: The tourist season isn't in danger:

The tourist season hasn't been compromised and we believe that the results will ultimately be satisfactory. At the moment, we have a slowdown in bookings but no cancellations for the main season. With the calming down of this virus, we can have a good season and post season. It should be emphasised that the response of health institutions and the entire Croatian Government in this situation is of high quality, which is crucial for the rapid return to normal after the slowdown because of the spread of the virus.

Ivo Lorencin, private landlord, Medulin: The preseason won't affect the financial picture

As for family accommodation, the pace of arrival of reservations for June, July and August has slowed down slightly, while for April and May it has completely stopped. There have been no cancellations so far, not even for the accommodation that was already reserved for Easter. But this trend doesn't have to mean anything, since it's common for early spring that most bookings are done "last minute".

The early preseason won't significantly affect the financial picture of the season because, except for Easter and May Day, we mostly have weekend tourists. But, on the other hand, that's the first revenue after the winter and spring investment in apartments and in the local environment, so for most family renters who opened in the early spring, this income, though relatively small, is extremely important. If the virus situation resolves in the next two to three weeks, the last minute bookings will work out and I don't believe we'll feel the consequences. However, if the situation persists and even if there are no epidemics, people will not dare to travel primarily because of the risk of quarantine.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle and travel pages for more on the Croatian tourism industry and coronavirus.

ZAGREB, March 11, 2020 - In January 2020, as compared to January 2019, retail trade turnover was 6.2% higher in real terms, which was the highest annual increase since February 2019, when it increased by 8.7%, the Croatian Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday.

In January 2020, the total seasonally and working-day adjusted retail trade turnover was 2.7% higher than in December 2019 in real terms.

The real retail trade turnover has been growing since June 2019. In December 2019, the annual growth was 4.5%.

In January 2020, as compared to the same month of the previous year, retail trade turnover of food, beverages and tobacco increased by 4.3% and of non-food products (except of automotive fuels and lubricants) by 8%.

All trade branches realised a growth and the total gross retail trade turnover increased by 8.4% in nominal terms, as compared to January 2019.

The largest impact on the growth in the nominal turnover in January 2020, as compared to January 2019, according to unadjusted indices, was realised by non-specialised stores with food, beverages and tobacco with a growth of 7.9% in turnover as well as automotive fuels and lubricants recording a growth in turnover of 13.1%.

Raiffeisenbank Austria analysts say the latest data reflect the higher optimism in trade registered at the end of 2019. Moderate inflation, favourable conditions on the labour market and a high inclination to consumption have confirmed expectations that retail trade would have solid results in January 2020, they add.

They expect retail trade trends to remain favourable in Q1, while in the continuation of the year, notably in Q2, they expect it to be affected by the uncertainties and fears over coronavirus and its impact, notably on tourism turnover.

More economic news can be found in the Business section.

ZAGREB, March 11, 2020 - Every farmer in Croatia can apply for an ePI electronic agricultural card, an official document issued by the Ministry of Agriculture to take farmers into the digital era and future online services, the ministry said on Wednesday.

The card will enable farmers to conduct administrative procedures simply and quickly from home.

The ePI will replace all existing cards that farmers have used until now.

One of the advantages of the new card is that it enables applications for support in the AGRONET system to be conducted online, which will relieve the administration system of the Agency for Payments and cut the time required to process applications.

The first issue of ePI cards will be free of charge, the ministry noted.

The ePI can also be used to access the e-citizens system and the services it provides such as applications for birth certificates, pension applications, health insurance applications and tax returns etc.

"The e-agriculture card is a step toward introducing farmers to the digital era and future online services. The card offers several benefits and has a high level of security, one of the most advanced on the market," Agriculture Minister Marija Vučković underscored.

The ministry recalled that along with the introduction of the ePI, it is working on new systems.

The Farmers' Register will connect the ministry, the Agency for Payments and the Croatian Agency for Agriculture and Food, which will improve the exchange of information and facilitate procedures for farmers, while the Agriculture Reports Management System will create the basis for analyses, controls and reporting as well as providing a single overview of farms and farmers in Croatia.

The GeoPortal of farm system is a one-stop site where farmers and the interested public can view physical data and information regarding agriculture that is organised based on theme areas, the ministry said in its press release.

More agriculture news can be found in the Business section.