Tijekom srpnja i kolovoza petak je u Kašteliru imao svoj prepoznatljiv ritam. Friday Tasting, program Turističke zajednice Općine Kaštelir-Labinci, realiziran uz podršku Poljoprivredne udruge Vitis i Općine Kaštelir-Labinci, a pokazao je koliko od početne, skromne ideje prerastao u sadržaj koji živi punim plućima i okuplja velik broj mještana, domaćih i stranih gostiju ispred Butige – local food store. Projekt je usmjeren na promociju lokalnih proizvođača, autohtonih proizvoda i eno-gastro ponude destinacije kroz prepoznatljivo događanje Friday Tasting, koje iz godine u godinu privlači sve veći broj posjetitelja i doprinosi razvoju održivog i autentičnog turizma.
Ono što je započelo kao jednostavna prezentacija lokalnih proizvoda s vremenom je postalo mjesto susreta, druženja i otkrivanja autentičnih okusa destinacije. Ove je sezone odaziv bio posebno velik, a gotovo svaki petak ispred Butige stvarala se živa i opuštena atmosfera u kojoj su se susretali turisti, lokalni stanovnici i proizvođači. Upravo je ta spontanost i neposrednost pokazala da je Friday Tasting prerastao u koncept koji publika prepoznaje i kojem se rado vraća.
Kroz gotovo cijelo ljeto posjetitelji su imali priliku besplatno kušati vina, ekstra djevičanska maslinova ulja, craft pića, prirodne sokove i druge proizvode te u razgovoru s proizvođačima upoznati priče, tradiciju i znanje koji stoje iza njih. Od svih planiranih termina tijekom srpnja i kolovoza samo je jedan Friday Tasting morao biti otkazan zbog nepovoljnih vremenskih uvjeta.
Ovogodišnja izdanja okupila su brojne proizvođače, među kojima su bili Vinarija Legovina, Vinarija Cossetto, Vina Radoš, OPG Grebac, OPG Edi Brčić, Oliveri maslinova ulja, Count’s Drinks, Brandystra, Frua, Artisana Pasta, Antica Cukerijera. Svaki petak donosio je novu kombinaciju proizvoda i priliku da se kroz kušanje otkrije još jedan dio lokalne eno-gastronomske ponude.
Važan dio Friday Tastinga bila je i gastronomija. Kroz live cooking pred posjetiteljima su kuhali chefovi Gianpaolo Sardot, Antonio Brajković i Danijel Milanović, koristeći lokalne namirnice i dajući im vlastiti gastronomski potpis.
Posebno mjesto pritom je pripalo gramperu, proizvodu snažno povezanom s Kaštelir-Labincima i lokalnom tradicijom. Tijekom Friday Tastinga pripremao se tradicionalni broštulani gramper s orihi, ali i druga jela s gramperom u fokusu, pokazujući kako se jedna jednostavna i dobro poznata lokalna namirnica može predstaviti na različite načine i postati zanimljiv dio gastronomskog doživljaja destinacije.
Glazba je dodatno zaokružila atmosferu ljetnih petaka, a tijekom programa nastupali su, među ostalima, Artphonix i Act Positive Duo.
Friday Tasting od početka nije zamišljen samo kao degustacija. Održavanje programa ispred Butige omogućilo je da kušanje bude prvi korak prema upoznavanju šire ponude lokalnih proizvođača. Ono što su gosti tijekom večeri kušali mogli su potom pronaći i kupiti u Butigi, čime je promocija lokalnih proizvoda dobila svoj nastavak i izvan samog događanja.
„Naš je cilj da turizam u Kaštelir-Labincima raste zajedno s lokalnom zajednicom. Imamo kvalitetne proizvođače, odlična vina i maslinova ulja, naš gramper i gastronomsku tradiciju na koju možemo biti ponosni. Friday Tasting pokazao je kako upravo te vrijednosti možemo pretvoriti u zanimljiv doživljaj za gosta, a istodobno dati prostor našim proizvođačima da predstave svoj rad“, istaknuo je načelnik Općine Kaštelir-Labinci Đulijano Petrović.
„Posebno nas veseli što je Friday Tasting ove godine napravio veliki iskorak. Od skromnijeg početka razvio se u koncept kojem se gosti vraćaju iz tjedna u tjedan, a ove smo sezone imali zaista velik broj posjetitelja i turista. To nam potvrđuje da ljudi traže upravo ovakve sadržaje – lokalne, neposredne i autentične“, dodala je direktorica Turističke zajednice Općine Kaštelir-Labinci Linda Grebac.
Tijekom dva ljetna mjeseca Friday Tasting tako je postao mjesto susreta proizvođača, mještana i gostiju različitih nacionalnosti. Uz čašu vina, kušanje maslinova ulja i craft pića, mirise jela koja su se pripremala pred publikom te glazbu, ispred Butige stvarala se atmosfera koja je iz petka u petak privlačila sve više ljudi.
Za lokalne proizvođače ovakvi su susreti predstavljali priliku da svoj rad predstave izravno publici, razgovaraju s kupcima i dobiju neposredne povratne informacije, dok je za destinaciju Friday Tasting postao primjer kako se na prirodan način mogu povezati poljoprivreda, gastronomija i turizam.
Friday Tasting održavao se u sklopu programa „Hello Summer in Kaštelir-Labinci“, koji je tijekom ljeta donio niz različitih sadržaja za mještane i goste – od Gramperijade i Craft Partyja do Kids’ Nighta i drugih ljetnih događanja. Zajednička nit programa bila je predstaviti Kaštelir-Labince kroz lokalne ljude, proizvode, gastronomiju i zajedništvo te gostima ponuditi sadržaje koji proizlaze iz karaktera i identiteta destinacije.
Završetkom kolovoza završila su ovogodišnja izdanja Friday Tastinga, no priča o lokalnim proizvodima nastavlja se u Butigi – local food store, gdje posjetitelji i dalje mogu pronaći proizvode lokalnih proizvođača i ponijeti sa sobom dio okusa koje su upoznali tijekom ljeta u Kašteliru.
Program Friday Tasting organizirala je Turistička zajednica Općine Kaštelir-Labinci uz podršku Poljoprivredne udruge Vitis i Općine Kaštelir-Labinci te uz sufinanciranje sredstvima Fonda za turistički nedovoljno razvijena područja i kontinent u ukupnom iznosu 8.691 €.
Promoting local family farms through the Friday Tasting food & wine event
Throughout July and August, Fridays in Kaštelir had a distinctive rhythm of their own. Friday Tasting, a programme organised by the Kaštelir-Labinci Tourist Board with the support of the Vitis Agricultural Association and the Municipality of Kaštelir-Labinci, showed just how much an initially modest idea could grow into a vibrant event attracting large numbers of local residents, domestic visitors and international guests in front of Butiga – local food store.
The project is focused on promoting local producers, traditional products and the destination’s food and wine offering through the recognisable Friday Tasting event, which attracts an increasing number of visitors each year and contributes to the development of sustainable and authentic tourism.
What began as a simple presentation of local products gradually became a place for meeting, socialising and discovering the authentic flavours of the destination. This season, the response was particularly strong, with almost every Friday bringing a lively yet relaxed atmosphere in front of Butiga, where tourists, local residents and producers came together. It was precisely this spontaneous and informal character that demonstrated how Friday Tasting has developed into a concept that audiences recognise and are happy to return to.
Throughout almost the entire summer, visitors had the opportunity to taste wines, extra virgin olive oils, craft beverages, natural juices and other products free of charge, while also speaking directly with producers and learning about the stories, traditions and expertise behind them. Of all the planned Friday Tasting dates in July and August, only one had to be cancelled due to unfavourable weather conditions.
This year’s editions brought together numerous producers, including Legovina Winery, Cossetto Winery, Radoš Wines, OPG Grebac, OPG Edi Brčić, Oliveri Olive Oils, Count’s Drinks, Brandystra, Frua, Artisana Pasta and Antica Cukerijera. Each Friday featured a new combination of products and another opportunity to discover a different part of the local food and wine offer through tasting.
Gastronomy was also an important part of Friday Tasting. During live cooking sessions, chefs Gianpaolo Sardot, Antonio Brajković and Danijel Milanović prepared dishes in front of visitors, using local ingredients and giving them their own distinctive culinary signature.
A particularly important role was given to gramper, a product closely associated with Kaštelir-Labinci and local tradition. During Friday Tasting, visitors could enjoy the traditional broštulani gramper s orihi, as well as other dishes centred around gramper, showing how a simple and familiar local ingredient can be presented in different ways and transformed into an appealing part of the destination’s gastronomic experience.
Music provided the finishing touch to the atmosphere of summer Fridays, with performances during the programme by, among others, Artphonix and Act Positive Duo.
From the very beginning, Friday Tasting was conceived as more than just a tasting event. Holding the programme in front of Butiga meant that tasting could serve as the first step towards discovering the wider range of products offered by local producers. Guests could later find and purchase in Butiga the same products they had tasted during the evening, allowing the promotion of local products to continue beyond the event itself.
“Our goal is for tourism in Kaštelir-Labinci to grow together with the local community. We have excellent producers, outstanding wines and olive oils, our gramper, and a gastronomic tradition we can be proud of. Friday Tasting has shown how these very values can be transformed into an engaging experience for visitors, while at the same time giving our producers an opportunity to present their work,” said the Mayor of the Municipality of Kaštelir-Labinci, Đulijano Petrović.
“We are especially pleased that Friday Tasting made such a significant step forward this year. From a more modest beginning, it has developed into a concept that guests return to week after week, and this season we welcomed a truly large number of visitors and tourists. This confirms that people are looking for exactly this kind of experience – local, personal and authentic,” added Linda Grebac, director of the Kaštelir-Labinci Tourist Board.
Over the course of the two summer months, Friday Tasting became a meeting place for producers, local residents and guests of various nationalities. With a glass of wine, tastings of olive oil and craft beverages, the aromas of dishes being prepared in front of the audience and live music, an atmosphere was created in front of Butiga that attracted more and more people from one Friday to the next.
For local producers, these gatherings represented an opportunity to present their work directly to the public, speak with customers and receive immediate feedback, while for the destination, Friday Tasting became an example of how agriculture, gastronomy and tourism can be connected in a natural and meaningful way.
Friday Tasting was held as part of the “Hello Summer in Kaštelir-Labinci” programme, which brought a wide range of activities for local residents and visitors throughout the summer – from the Gramperijada and Craft Party to Kids’ Night and other summer events. The common thread running through the programme was the presentation of Kaštelir-Labinci through its local people, products, gastronomy and sense of community, while offering visitors experiences rooted in the character and identity of the destination.
With the end of August, this year’s Friday Tasting editions came to a close, but the story of local products continues at Butiga – local food store, where visitors can still discover products made by local producers and take home some of the flavours they experienced during the summer in Kaštelir.
The Friday Tasting programme was organised by the Kaštelir-Labinci Tourist Board with the support of the Vitis Agricultural Association and the Municipality of Kaštelir-Labinci, and was co-financed through the Fund for Tourism-Underdeveloped Areas and the Continent in the total amount of €8,691.
