RECORD EDITION

More than 35,000 people visited this year's Tastes of the Regions fair organised on 27-30 September 2014 in Poznan. The fair has for years been the largest event in Poland promoting Polish traditional and certified food, but even the organisers – MTP and the Association of Polish Regions – did not expect this level of attendance.

For four days at the stands of over 160 exhibitors – producers of regional food from different regions – one could try, taste, but also buy the most delicious culinary rarities. Crowds of connoisseurs of local products delighted in oscypki (smoked ewe’s milk cheese made in the Tatra Mountains), different types of honey, beer, dumplings (pierogi), jams, bread, or traditionally smoked meats. Such great interest in the fair surprised even some of the exhibitors who sometimes already after two days sold out the entire stock of goods which they brought to Poznan. These signals prove not only the success of the fair, but also the ever increasing popularity of natural, traditional and most importantly Polish food products.

This trend was perfectly used by individual regions, which during the fair promoted mostly their regional cuisine, but also culture. Thus, the halls housed two culinary stages featuring cooking demonstrations using local products as well as the Main Stage dominated by folk song and dance companies. Lively Polish dances and folk songs perfectly matched the nature of the fair, further emphasising its relationship with the Polish tradition. There is, therefore, nothing surprising that the people gathered in the auditorium were raring to dance. The two shows of Poznan restaurants (Hugo Restaurant and Gospoda Pod Gajem) organised at the stand of the "SlowLife Food & Garden" magazine perfectly matched this traditional trend. The attempt at combining a modern approach to cooking with traditional products really appealed to the visitors, who readily tasted dishes prepared live.

Western Pomerania – this year's Partner Region

This year, the Fair partner region was Western Pomerania; therefore, the Fair stage hosted not only song and dance companies from the region, but also Grzegorz Turnau's concert for visitors. The audience gave a very warm welcome both to the artist and his new passion. Turnau, so far associated mainly with Krakow, promoted at the Tastes of Regions fair his winery, which he established together with his cousins three years ago in Baniewice in West Pomerania. -The establishment of a vineyard and winery is my big dream, but it's not just about the company. We are lovers of wine, wine is a whole wonderful culture, but this project is primarily about family and friendship, an attempt at returning to family tradition - declared Turnau.

Furthermore, the Slavs and Vikings Centre from West Pomerania, on the surface of 80 square meters, built a Slavic village and prepared demonstrations of medieval crafts. Traditional tents featured stands dedicated to fishing, jewellery, quill pen writing and felt production. And all those who longed for holidays by the sea were able to lie on a beach with real sand with sun loungers. The "bathers" were mostly children who had fun on slides placed on the sand and often borrowed accessories to make sandcastles (mainly pots and ladles) from the aforementioned Slavs. Because Vikings more effectively defended their property.

Tradition and taste of Polish bread

Over a thousand children took part in the baking fun in the mini-bakery arranged for the duration of the fair by the Association of Polish Bakers. The youngest visitors (mostly preschoolers), under the supervision of professionals, formed plaits, rolls and croissants, which were then baked in a real baking oven. They could take their "works" home with them. A visit to the mini-bakery was also a great opportunity to see the hardship of baker's work and personally see grain, dough or kvass. Each young baker visiting the mini-bakery received a special apron.

The organiser of the project wasthe Association of Bakery Craftsmen of the Republic of Poland, which through the "Tradition and Taste of Polish Bread" project promotes the consumption of traditional Polish bread. During the fair representatives of the association also revealed the secrets of production of St. Martin's croissants and presented traditional baking methods. At the "gallery of bakery smells" visitors had the opportunity to feel the smells that fill bakeries on a daily basis.

Even more for children

Other activities for children were also planned, for example jewellery making using plastic straws, making pictures using colourful pasta, XXL soap bubbles show, fruit face painting, quizzes and contests with prizes and art workshops with Mr Foam.

Medal of the TASTES OF REGIONS Fair

This year, the jury awarded 20 medals of the Tastes of Regions Fair. They were given at the stand during the Fair to the best natural and traditional food products from the countries of the European Union that entered the competition as Fair exhibits. There were two competition categories: vegetable and animal products. The jury assessed, among other things, traditional nature of the product, its quality, competitiveness, packaging and promotion of a given region by the product submitted to the competition. The biggest number of medals (four) went to products from Małopolska and Warmia-Mazury.

Culinary "Pearls"

"Perła 2014" prizes were also presented in the fourteenth edition of "Our Culinary Heritage – Tastes of the Regions" competition. In the BEST REGIONAL PRODUCTS category 32 Culinary Pearls were awarded, and in the BEST REGIONAL FOOD category - 18. This year, "Keys to Polish Larder," or prestigious awards for individuals, organisations and institutions that contributed to the promotion of traditional products, were granted to: Danuta Bancewicz, Anna Czajkowska, Piotr Czura, "Koncertowa" Restaurant of the Wojcik Family from Lublin, Lucjan Kuźniar, Piotr Kohut, Kazimierz Porębski, Jaroslaw Rzepa and Witold Wrobel. The leading organiser of the competition, held under the patronage of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and Voivodeship Marshals, is the Polish Chamber of Regional and Local Products.

The most interesting promotion

During the fair the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Marek Sawicki awarded three cups and two prizes for "The Best Promotion at the Tastes of Regions Fair". The cups were granted to Wielkopolska and Pomerania, while the main prize (and the biggest cup) went to Western Pomerania. By contrast, stands from the following provinces were awarded: Malopolska, Warmia and Mazury, and Lower Silesia.

Global promotion

The Fair was once again opened by and held under the honourable patronage of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. The symbolic ribbon cutting was performed by Dariusz Młotkiewicz - Secretary of State, Deputy Head of the Chancellery of the Polish President, Marek Sawicki - Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Marek Wozniak - Marshal of the Wielkopolska Region, Vice President of the Union of Voivodeships of the Republic of Poland, Krzysztof Grabowski - Member of the Wielkopolska Province Government, Tomasz Kayser - Deputy Mayor of Poznań, Jan Grabkowski - Mayor of Poznan, Bogdan Ciepielewski - Director of the Office of the Union of Voivodeships of the Republic of Poland and Tomasz Kobierski - VP of Poznan International Fair. On behalf of the President of Poland, Bronisław Komorowski, Deputy Chief of his Chancellery, Dariusz Młotkiewicz, welcomed the Fair participants.

Minister of Agriculture in his welcome speech said that 10 years of Polish membership of the European Union showed that over the years our regionalisation strengthened, not weakened. In addition, further trade missions to promote Polish regional products are planned. This year they will cover Iran, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

For Professionals

The Tastes of Regions Fair supports the development of traditional products, at the same time creating excellent business conditions for customers to establish business contacts with the manufacturers of regional food. Since Polagra Food and Polagra Gastro Fairs are held simultaneously, traders, restaurateurs or persons supplying retail outlets may find there real culinary delicacies for their shops and restaurants.

Next edition: 19-22 September 2015.

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Media contact:

Marta Radowska-Karpińska, tel. 061869 26 34,

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