K ings, presidents, prime ministers, celebrated athletes, singers, ac- tors, businesspeople, but also next-door-neighbours who like to pop round for dinner – all are enchant- ed in the same way by the delicious and ar- omatic culinary magic of Tomaž Kavčić. For his famous guests, as well as those without any titles, this world-renowned chef pro- vides human warmth and puts them at the centre of events, which, besides having in- novative meals prepared with endless love, have seen him travel to many places on the culinary map of the world. He has cooked for many famous, im- portant people, but, as he says, they al- most never have special requests. He re- calls how Slovenian President Borut Pahor once told him after a lunch that he’d nev- er seen his colleagues and associates en-
Svakog jutra Tomaž prima energiju predela između Alpa i Mediterana, na dodirnoj tački romanskog, germanskog i slovenskog sveta Each morning Tomaž receives the energy of the region between the Alps and the Mediterranean, at the point where the Romanesque, Germanic and Slavic worlds touch
joy food so much. And German Chancel- lor Angela Merkel once said, after Tomaž had cooked for her and a few dozen other heads of state and senior EU officials, that lunch had been great, unlike the accom- panying business talks. - If I wanted to see my mother as a child, I had to go into the kitchen. I did my homework there, played there... I had no clue that the fact I was constantly around the kitchen and helping her would lead to cuisine becoming my vocation – recalls Tomaž. And there were only two possibil- ities: to continue the family business in hospitality, which dates back three gen- erations, or for the kitchen to irritate him so much that he’d never enter it again. To the great happiness of many gourmets, the first happened. And although back then as a child he
only incidentally assisted in the family busi- ness, while studying at the secondary tech- nical school and enjoying motor sports, the love for hospitality and cooking, which had always filled his home, overtook him. - As I devote myself fully to everything in life, so I sought perfection in cooking when taking over the family inn. Today I am here where I am. Cuisine is not a pro- fession for me, it’s a way of life – reveals Tomaž, while his claim is confirmed by the prize he recently won for Europe’s most in- novative chef. In his calling it is good to respond to challenges every day. And, as he says, a man must be honest, professional and ethical if he wants to survive. The culinary trade doesn’t tolerate anything less. – Everyone who works in a restaurant and those who supply it with ingredients are dependent
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