May 6-7th
Dūmų fabrikas, Vilnius
About
“Baltic Gastro Summit” – an intellectual yet fun and insightful look into the world of gastronomy. Taking place in May 2025, this event will offer a fresh perspective on gastronomy for industry professionals, enthusiasts, and seasoned food lovers alike. It features 16 hours of unique, inspiring content and 16 speakers from around the world, including Michelin-starred chefs, scientists exploring the future of gastronomy, and renowned restaurant critics.
Speakers
René Frank
One of the most famous dessert chefs in the world, Coda restaurant (Michelin 2*), 62nd place in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, Best Pastry chef 2024 world award.
Andy Hayler
Food critic, journalist, book author, a person who has visited all Michelin 3* restaurants in the world.
Charles Spence, PhD
Professor of Experimental Psychology at Oxford University, researcher of multisensory experiences, author of the book “Gastrophysics”.
Matthew Orlando
Former head chef at “Noma”, chef at the most famous sustainable restaurant “Amass”, is now the chef at the “Air” restaurant in Singapore. A guru of the zero waste philosophy.
Arielle Johnson
A scientist instrumental in the creation of Noma’s fermentation lab, and former chief science officer for Alton Brown’s “Good Eats”, author of “Flavorama”.
Ingo Hettig
German management consultant and gastronomy expert, food blogger at “Travelgastronomist”.
Sebastian Frank
A chef connoisseur of vegetarian cuisine who has held 2 Michelin stars at the Horváth restaurant since 2015. Horváth was named among the 12 most interesting restaurants in Berlin.
Paulina Štreimikytė
Scientist whose main research focus is the complex development of innovative, functional and fermented products, quality, safety and fermentation research.
Walter Sidoravicius
The chef of Omakase by Walt restaurant in Ibiza, which earned a Michelin star just two years after opening. Mostly known for combining Japanese techniques with Mediterranean ingredients.
Emile Van der Staak
An innovative Dutch chef known for his botanical gastronomy. He runs De Nieuwe Winkel, a restaurant that has earned two Michelin stars and has been named the best vegetable restaurant in the world by We’re Smart Green Guide.
Rimantas Stanevičius
A partner and creative director at the advertising agency Milk, and also serves on the boards of the Lithuanian Design Association and the European Art Directors Club, and teaches at the advertising school Atomic Garden.
Kim Wejendorp
A visionary in sustainable gastronomy. Former head of research and development at Amass, where he inmplemented a use 90% of organic ingredients and reduced food waste by transforming kitchen scraps into culinary creations.
Svetlana Riškova
A renowned Latvian chef with over 22 years of experience in both the national and international gastronomic scene, an expert in energy efficiency and also the woman who brought Latvian gastronomy to the Bocuse d’Or Grand Finale in Lyon.
Vincent Bauchet
Together with his wife, he runs the Pertois-Moriset champagne house, which belongs to the prestigious and world-renowned winegrowers’ association called Special Club. As he himself says, champagne is not just a drink for him – it is a history, a craft, and a way of life.
More speakers to be announced soon!
Organizers
The event is organized by Bocuse d’Or Lithuania. Its origins trace back to Lyon, France, where in 1987, the legendary chef Paul Bocuse founded the prestigious gastronomy competition to discover and honor the most talented young chefs. Over time, this initiative evolved into an international competition, with Bocuse d’Or organizations emerging worldwide to foster and elevate gastronomic culture. The biennial competition in Lyon is now not only a showcase of mastery and creativity but also a gateway for chefs to the global culinary elite.
However, Bocuse d’Or Lithuania has a broader mission than just preparing for the global competition. Its goal is to encourage chefs’ creativity and innovation in the kitchen, share experience and inspiration, and most importantly, spread knowledge and the belief that food is more than just nourishment—it is a socio-cultural experience and an art form.
