13-04-2015
The homepage of Fontegro, the first edition of the Ukrainian fine dining congress, taking place tomorrow and on the day after tomorrow in Kiev’s Olympic Stadium, with many Italian chefs in the programme. Today we present an interview with the two curators Anna Zelenokhat and Ekaterina Avdeeva; in the next days the live report from Kiev
On Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th of April, in Kiev, Ukraine, the first edition of the Fontegro congress will take place, an event we will follow from the frontline. Over half of the chefs in the programme speaks Italian: Lorenzo Cogo, Christian Milone, Errico Recanati, Eugenio Roncoroni and Beniamino Nespor, Viviana Varese. The others, instead, are all more or less known to Identità, from Daniel Burns to Kobe Desramaults, from Sergio Bastard to Peeter Pihel up till the only local chef, Yuri Priemsky.
To get into the atmosphere, we called Anna Zelenokhat and Ekaterina Avdeeva, the two curators of the congress. «This is the result of a crazy idea», they candidly admit. «And we can’t tell if our thoughts reflect those of all the Ukrainians. Yet Fontegro can truly represent an opportunity for development, success and prosperity for our people».
What’s your story? Anna: I’ve been working in the restaurant industry for over 10 years. I started as a PR manager in a restaurant. In 2005, together with my husband, I created a catering business. For years we have served the Olympic stadium in Kiev. The congress is one of the many ideas we have in mind. Ekaterina: I’ve always liked cooking. I started working in hotels and restaurants. Then I met Anna and we became partners. We have recommended directors and chefs to all of Ukraine.
Ekaterina Avdeeva and Anna Zelenokhat
You first thought of doing it in October 2014. Yes but the variables connected with the war in the East, the shot down Boeing, the frequent protest meetings in Kiev and a very unstable exchange rate could not guarantee safety for our guests and speakers. This is why we chose to postpone to April.
Was it difficult to organise it in such a moment? It was very difficult because many of our people’s resources are concentrated on volunteering, to help refugees fleeing from the eastern areas of our country. Unfortunately, not all of those who would like to participate in the congress can do so. This has forced us to downscale the programme a little. But we still need to think about promoting efficient businesses, without too much unproductive talk. Fontegro represents our small example of how to move forward in difficult times. It’s a long road, and uphill, yet we need to start to take it, each one with their skills.
Anna visiting the latest edition of Identità Milano, the first source of inspiration for the Ukrainian congress
The two-day event starting tomorrow includes many Italian chefs. Italian food has been very popular in Ukraine for many years. Our countries have many things in common: fertile soil, a hot climate suitable for growing fruits and berries. And most of all, we are surrounded by the sea: our diet too, includes both meat and fish.
What’s your dream in the long run? That many Ukrainian chefs can develop a personal style thanks to Fontegro. This is what is missing the most, especially now that it is rather difficult to go abroad to get trained. We dream that one day Kiev may become a privileged area for the dialogue between Ukrainian chefs but also those from Georgia, Moldavia and Belorussia.
Gabriele Zanatta’s opinion: on establishments, chefs and trends in Italy and the world
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born in Milan, 1973, freelance journalist, coordinator of Identità Golose World restaurant guidebook since 2007, he is a contributor for several magazines and teaches History of gastronomy and Culinary global trends into universities and institutes. twitter @gabrielezanatt instagram @gabrielezanatt