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Participation Record in Bursa: 1 Million People Participated

The 4th International Bursa Gastronomy Festival will be remembered for its intense attendance, attracting over one million people. Held at Merinos Park on September 26, 27, and 28, the festival provided a delicious and enjoyable experience for millions of people, with a wide variety of events, from its opening to panels and talks, from culinary workshops to competitions, from gastronomic stages to film screenings and concerts.

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Participation Record in Bursa: 1 Million People Participated | HORECA TREND

Bursa hosted a delicious festival on September 26-27-28. Organized by Bursa Metropolitan Municipality “The Route is Being Rebuilt” The three-day event, held at Merinos Park, was themed 4th International Bursa Gastronomy FestivalThe festival hosted 1 million guests from outside the city and beyond, in addition to visitors from Bursa. The festival featured numerous programs, including panels, gastro-conversations, presentations, special sessions, a Geographical Indications Summit, as well as sectoral and academic events, including culinary workshops and competitions.

Nearly 100 events, attended by 145 guest speakers and chefs, included competitions, gastro-intensive talks, tasting and flavor workshops, and four concerts. Merinos Park, which featured eight international booths, also featured 40 non-governmental organizations, 11 of which were in the gastronomy sector. The majority of these NGOs were women's cooperatives and associations. Fifty restaurants and businesses further enhanced their brand recognition and offered their delicious flavors to visitors.

Supported by academics and students from seven different universities, the programs were held on six different event stages. The festival also hosted the 1st Bursa Geographically Indicated Products Summit, the "My Route: Bursa Flavors" National Photography Competition, the launch of the book "From Registration to Plate: Bursa Gastronomy," and two photography exhibitions.

The festival, which aims to strengthen the city's gastronomic brand nationally and internationally by showcasing its signature flavors to the world and create economic value by supporting local producers, chefs, artisans, and artists, offered three days of high excitement, enthusiasm, productivity, and dynamism for both participants and visitors. Events were organized in parallel across multiple areas: the Main Stage, Gastro Talk Area, Competition Area, Flavor Workshop, Alternative Stage, and Children's Stage.

Opened with Friendship Soup! 

The festival, which kicked off with the Friendship Soup bonfire, made with ingredients brought from many countries and cities and organized by the Chefs Association, and then the Procession from Merinos Park B Cafe to the Main Stage, hosted hundreds of events over three days.

In the opening gastronomic scene, "A Taste of Bursa Presented to the World," local and international chefs Atakan Özen, Alparslan Bayrak, Emre Uslu, Shunichi Horikoshi, Rudolf Van Nunen, and Chris Maxwell prepared dishes featuring Bursa produce at two different stations on the Main Stage. International chefs prepared "Grilled Keles Lamb Küşleme, Karacabey Onion Chestnut Puree, and Grape Syrup Reduction," while local chefs prepared "Lamb Saddle with Caramelized Figs," while Cüneyt Asan, a veteran of the gastronomic world, added his enthusiasm to the event.

“We want to make Bursa an indispensable stop on the world's gastronomy routes.”

Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey took the stage in the festival's first session. In the "Bursa's Gastronomy Vision" session, moderated by Communications Strategist and Gastronomy Writer Zeynep Kakınç, Mayor Bozbey shared his vision and goals for Bursa's culinary journey. This session, which will shape the future of the city's culinary culture, was one of the festival's most striking events. In his conversation with Kakınç, Bozbey emphasized Bursa's ambitious culinary journey, saying, "Bursa is the heart of Türkiye, not only with its history and industry, but also with its gastronomy. Our vision is to preserve our traditional recipes, blend them with modern presentations, and bring them to the world. Our goal in the next 5-10 years is to see Bursa among cities renowned for its gastronomy, like Lyon, Barcelona, ​​or Tokyo. Our culinary culture has a deep-rooted story that extends from the soil to the plate. By bringing this story to the international stage, we want to make Bursa an indispensable stop on the world's culinary routes."

The city's Gezek culture came to life at the festival with the contributions of the Bursa Friendship-GezekMusîki Association.

Visitors had pleasant moments with Gezek, a 650-year-old culture based on the philosophy of creating a bridge between Bursa's past and future.

The Geographical Indications Summit, held in the Gastro Talk Area, addressed the topic from many perspectives. The two-session summit was moderated by YÜciTA President Prof. Dr. Yavuz Tekelioğlu.

The Gala Dinner, held on the grand terrace of the Atatürk Cultural Center's Merinos Park Campus in the evening, was prepared from recipes in the book "Bursa Gastronomy from Registration to Plate," which was introduced at the opening ceremony. The menu, created with the finishing touches of Bursa chef Atakan Özen, was admired by the special guests in attendance.

Brother Tables Gathered in Bursa

The "Sister Tables Meet in Bursa" event, which attracted participants from countries such as Bulgaria, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Ukraine, Belarus, Tatarstan, the People's Republic of China, Indonesia, and Moldova, was notable for its diplomatic and cultural significance as well as its gastronomic value. Chefs from these countries built an intercultural culinary bridge with the gastronomic scenes they organized throughout the festival.

Local and foreign chefs' gastronomic stages, along with flavors created with products unique to Bursa, were presented to visitors for three days. Many renowned chefs, including Maria Ekmekçioğlu, Cüneyt Asan, Yunus Emre Akkor, Rafet İnce, Doğa Çitçi, Yaren Çarpar, Ömer Bozyap, Asuman Kerkez, Memet Özer, Murat Özipek, Gökhan Çilak, and Eyüp Kemal Sevinç, took the stage alongside chefs from Bursa, preparing a wide variety of flavors on stage, from Keles Lamb and Chestnut Candy to Gürsu Okra, Gedelek Pickles, İnegöl Meatballs, Tahini Pide, and Walnut Turkish Delight.

Women's Power!

The panels and interviews were held in collaboration with the Mutfak Dostları Association on Saturday and Gastro-Der on Sunday.

The visibility and inspiring experiences of female chefs were shared with the panel “The Power of Women: The Changing Balance of the Kitchen.”

Throughout the festival, the following topics will be presented: “Unknowns of Bursa Cuisine”, “Social Gastronomy: The Role of Food in Social Change with Its Production and Presentation Dimensions”, “Gastronomic Culture, Art and Craft”, “The Effects of Gastronomy Culture on the Development of the Food and Beverage Sector”, “Communication of Food Culture: Transition from Traditional to Digital”, “Gastronomic Diplomacy: From Table to Cultural Brand”, “The Status of Olives and Olive Cultivation in Türkiye; Marmara Olive Cultivation”, “Resource Use in Agriculture; Steps for Water and Soil Health”, “Gastronomic Route Experiences”, “From Cooperatives to City Tables: The Place of Women’s Labor in Gastronomy”, “Bursa’s Tourism and Gastronomy Future”, “Tasting Gastronomy in the Digital Age”, “A New Vision in Bursa Gastronomy”, “City Brands Shaping Gastronomy Tourism”, “The Hot Cuisine Movement from the Balkans”, In the panels and talks titled “Sufficiency, Sustainability and Responsible Consumption in Gastronomy”, “Traces of Bursa Gastronomy”, “Bursa’s Flavor Economy: Agriculture, Production and Local Development”, “The Impact of Gastronomy on Tourism in Bursa” and “Let’s Eat Dessert and Talk Sweetly”, not only Bursa but every discipline of gastronomy was examined by experts in the field.

“Take Care of Your Culinary Heritage!”

Before the festival, academics and gastronomy students from İzmir, Antalya, Hatay, and Bursa searched for lost recipes in villages as part of the "Clean Up Your Culinary Heritage!" project, documenting flavors that had been lost. The discovery and inventory of these nearly lost dishes were shared at the festival by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Turgay Bucak from Dokuz Eylül University's Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Department, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Adem Arman from Akdeniz University's Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Department, Instructor Fatih Yıldırım from Bursa Uludağ University's Culinary Program, and Instructor Dr. Duygu Babat from Hatay Mustafa Kemal University's Culinary Program.

The project, whose creative director is Communications Strategist and Gastronomy Writer Zeynep Kakınç, and whose project coordinator is Yalçın İnam, UN World Food Programme Officer, explored and documented Bursa's rich gastronomic heritage, aiming to pass on forgotten culinary practices to future generations. The study explored both Cretan immigrant cuisine and the historical culinary culture of Tirilye in detail through field research.

Two Full Days!

Workshops were held on local Bursa delicacies such as cantık (Turkish flatbread with tahini), walnut Turkish delight (Turkish delight with walnuts), Gedelek pickles, and milk halva. In many workshops, where women's cooperatives also played an active role, master chefs recreated local delicacies.

This year, gastronomy in Bursa left its mark not only on the palate but also on culture, cinema, and narrative. Visitors experienced a vibrant and entertaining event, with food presentations, gastronomic stages, competitions, workshops, gastronomic-themed film screenings, talks with directors and producers, and concerts held in various venues and stages.

During the festival, participants' transfers between Istanbul and Bursa were covered by İDO and BUDO, with visitors receiving a 15 percent discount from İDO and a 16 percent discount from BUDO.

The 4th International Bursa Gastronomy Festival left a mark on the memories of participants and visitors with its centuries-old flavors that bring tradition and the future together at the same table, presentations and tastings, talks, Bursa's well-established culinary destinations, handcrafted delicacies from women producers, workshops, competitions, concerts, and much more.

Bursa, with its 8,500-year history resembling an open-air museum, tangible and intangible cultural and touristic values, as well as its deep-rooted gastronomy and culinary culture, hosted 1 million people this year and has already begun preparations for the 5th International Bursa Gastronomy Festival to be held next year.

Source: HORECA Trend and International 4th Bursa Gastronomy Festival

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Fairs and Events

Gastromasa 2025: 10 Years of Stories Are Being Written in Istanbul

Gastromasa Istanbul International Gastronomy Conference & Fair, one of the most prestigious events in the gastronomy world, is being organized by Sözen Group for the 10th time this year. The event, which will take place at the Haliç Congress Center from November 6–7, 2025, will bring together legendary figures of gastronomy in Istanbul under the theme "Stories of 10 Years."

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Gastromasa 2025: 10 Years of Stories Are Being Written in Istanbul | HORECA TREND

As the second largest gastronomy conference in the world, it continues to serve as an important bridge between Türkiye and world gastronomy. Gastromasa The Istanbul International Gastronomy Conference & Fair will open its doors for the 10th time at the Haliç Congress Center in Istanbul on November 6-7, 2025, under the theme "Stories of 10 Years." Launched in 2015 by Sözen Group CEO Gökmen Sözen and celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the event will offer gastronomy professionals a unique experience with two days of inspiring talks, thematic panels, workshops, and a well-attended exhibition area.

Sözen Group CEO and Gastromasa Founder Gökmen Sözen In his press statement, he emphasized that Gastromasa's 10th anniversary is not just a success story of an event, but a vision. He stated that they set out in 2015 to introduce Türkiye's gastronomic potential to the world, and that today, Gastromasa is considered the world's second-largest gastronomy conference. He described this success as the joint efforts of chefs, NGOs, producers, sponsors, and media representatives.

Giant Names of the World Gastronomy Scene on the Same Stage! 

This year, more than 60 world-renowned chefs, hundreds of speakers, investors, and brands from five continents will gather in Istanbul.

Gault&Millau award winner and three Michelin starred Emmanuel Renaut, three Michelin starred Julien Royer, Gault&Millau hat winner and three Michelin starred Marco Müller, three Michelin starred Disfrutar’s Founding Partner Oriol Castro, who won the title of ‘Best Restaurant in the World’ on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024 list, three Michelin starred Ángel León, two Michelin starred Andoni Luis Aduriz, three Michelin starred Ana Roš, Michelin starred Albert Adrià, three Michelin starred Simon Rogan, Antonio Bachour, twice named the World’s Best Pastry Chef by The Best Chef Awards, two Michelin starred Diego Guerrero, Chef Virgilio Martínez of Central, who was named the World’s Best Restaurant in 2023 by “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants”, Gault&Millau hat winner and three Michelin starred Christian Le Squer, two Michelin starred Jorge Vallejo, two Michelin starred Rasmus Munk, three Michelin starred Torres The Brothers are world-renowned chefs, pastry chefs, sommeliers and chefs such as Maido's Chef Mitsuharu Tsumura, which was chosen as the World's Best Restaurant by The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025; Jeremy Chan with two Michelin stars; René Frank with two Michelin stars and a Gault&Millau hat; Elena Arzak with three Michelin stars and was chosen as the World's Best Female Chef in 2012 by The World's 50 Best Restaurants; Paco Torreblanca, who was chosen as the 'World's Best Pastry Chef' twice by the International Academy of Gastronomy; Philippe Bernachon, the third generation representative of the legendary Bernachon family; Mohamed Benabdallah, who was chosen as the 'World's Best Sommelier' by The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025; Giorgio Bargiani, the creative mixologist of The Connaught Bar; Maksut Aşkar with a Michelin star and a Gault&Millau hat; and Fatih Tutak with two Michelin stars and a Gault&Millau Turkey hat. Mixologists, important investors and professionals of the tourism and hospitality industry, opinion leaders, national and international brands will come together for the 10th time at Gastromasa.

Global Collaborations and International Promotion

This year, Gastromasa continues to carry its vision of becoming Türkiye's leading gastronomy brand to international platforms. Following the London event, Gastromasa will also be present in new destinations like Dubai, and continues to be a pioneering brand positioning Turkish gastronomy on the global stage.

Gastromasa, which has preserved the memory of Turkish gastronomy since 2015, inspiring new generations of chefs, and establishing a strong network in the international gastronomy world, continues its 10th year on the axis of inspiration, creativity, and global dialogue. This year, the stories that bring the cultural richness of Turkish cuisine to the world will be rewritten in the heart of Istanbul.

Source: HORECA TREND and Gastromasa

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Fairs and Events

Bakery Plus 2025 Fair: FİMAK Stand Greeted with Great Interest

FİMAK, Türkiye's leading brand in industrial ovens and kitchen equipment, achieved great success at the 6th Bread, Pastry, Chocolate, and Technologies Fair (Bakery Plus), held at the Ankara ATO Congresium from October 16-19, 2025. Throughout the fair, industry professionals from various cities in Türkiye and many other countries showed great interest in the FİMAK booth.

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Bakery Plus 2025 Fair: FİMAK Stand Greeted with Great Interest | HORECA TREND

The Double Design Award-Winning Rokon Series Became a Favorite of Visitors

The star of the fair was FİMAK's internationally awarded Rokon Series The Rokon Series, which stands out with its aesthetic design and high performance, was awarded in Germany in 2025. German Design Award ve iF Design Award It became a focal point for visitors at the fair with two prestigious awards, including the "April 1980" award. This interest once again confirmed the level of innovation and engineering power that Turkish industry has reached in the global arena.

Strong Synergy with Business Partners

FİMAK showcased not only its own product range but also its strong collaborations in the industry. BECS Macaron, Kaave, Alfa Fırın, doughex, LUV Gelato, Sevel Showcase ve Pizza Albe's Partner companies such as took part in the FIMAK stand and offered holistic solutions to the participants. HORECA TREND As the Media Group, we were present at the stand as the media partner of FİMAK and kept our finger on the pulse of the sector.

Bakery Plus 2025 Fair: FİMAK Stand Greeted with Great Interest | HORECA TREND“Bakery Plus is the Most Important Meeting Point for Our Industry”

Mehmet Özpınar, Chairman of the Board of Directors of FİMAK, expressed his satisfaction with the fair, saying: “Bakery Plus has always been a key meeting point for our industry. We were thrilled to strengthen our ties with our existing business partners and present our cutting-edge technological solutions to industry professionals in Türkiye and around the world on this platform. The strong interest from visitors from Türkiye, the Balkans, the Turkic Republics, the Middle East, and North Africa demonstrated that we were doing the right thing and that the strategic role of our fair is increasingly strengthened.”

Bakery Plus 2025, which concluded with a successful organization, was a productive fair where FİMAK established new business connections and strengthened its position in the international market.

Source: HORECA TREND

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Fairs and Events

Gastronometro is 10 years old!

Gastronometro, launched by Metro Türkiye in 2015 with the aim of "preserving, developing, and promoting Turkish cuisine to the world," is celebrating its 10th anniversary today. For ten years, the platform has brought together all stakeholders in the sector and has become a benchmark in the gastronomy world with its efforts centered on education, research, and innovation. Gastronometro, committed to strengthening international collaborations, bringing local values ​​to a wider audience, and increasing the global impact of Turkish cuisine, is expanding its contribution to the development of the ecosystem. With the agreement signed with the Ministry of National Education, Gastronometro will now become an accredited training center.

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Gastronometro is 10 Years Old! | HORECA TREND

Gastronometro, launched by Metro Türkiye as Turkey's first gastronomy discovery platform and one of the food and beverage industry's closest business partners, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Since its inception, the platform has striven for the sustainable development of Turkish cuisine through education, R&D, product development, and implementation activities in the field of gastronomy, with the aim of "preserving, developing, and introducing Turkish cuisine to the world." Gastronometro collaborates with internationally renowned gastronomy and hospitality schools such as the Basque Culinary Center and Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, and brings together Michelin-starred chefs with Turkish chefs. It also conducts training and collaborations with the Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Having inspired thousands of chefs, producers, academics, and students to date, the platform has distinguished itself with its educational programs, projects supporting the use of local products in professional kitchens, and its innovative approach to the culinary ecosystem. Gastronometro, entering its new era with the motto "an education, R&D, and application platform that brings together Türkiye's gastronomy and hospitality sectors," aims to increase its collaborations both nationally and internationally and to bring the values ​​of Turkish cuisine to a wider audience. Taking another significant step toward ecosystem development, Gastronometro will soon become an accredited training center offering certified training programs in culinary, service, and stewardship based on MEB-approved curricula through an agreement with the Ministry of National Education.

Gastronometro is 10 Years Old! | HORECA TREND

“Education, R&D and Application Platform Bringing Together the Gastronomy and Hospitality Sectors”

Reminding that the founding purpose of Gastronometro is to carry Turkish cuisine into the future, Metro Türkiye CEO David Antunes"When we launched Gastronometro, our goal was not only to preserve the unique culinary culture of these lands but also to carry it into the future. Over the years, this center has created a multifaceted impact, from education and R&D to international collaborations and hundreds of events. Here, traditional recipes have been revitalized through the creativity of our chefs, the stories of local producers have been brought to the world, and industry professionals have found the opportunity to develop themselves. Today, Gastronometro defines the future of its journey with its new motto: 'The education, R&D, and application platform that brings together Türkiye's gastronomy and hospitality sectors.' This reflects not only past achievements but also the responsibilities we will undertake in the coming years. As Metro Turkey, we will continue with the same passion to contribute to the development of the sector and bring this cuisine to the world with our Gastronometro investment," he said.

“The Story of a Dream Coming True”

Gastronometro Director Maximilian Thomae Describing the 10-year period as “the story of a dream coming true,” he said, “Since our founding, we have built not just a kitchen; we have built a multidimensional platform centered on education, research, innovation, and sharing. During this decade, we have supported the development of nearly 3.000 Metro brand products. We have brought together chefs, young talents, producers, and gastronomy enthusiasts under the same roof with over 200 events and conferences. We have hosted numerous prestigious organizations, from the MICHELIN Guide to young chef competitions. At every step, we have sought ways to preserve our local values ​​and introduce them to the world in order to keep Turkish cuisine alive in its fullest. In fact, the Michelin-Star chefs we host at Gastronometro return to their countries with the new knowledge they learned about Turkish cuisine here, adding a Turkish touch to traditional flavors: 3-Star Spanish Chef Elena Arzak now uses sumac, an indispensable spice of Turkish cuisine, which she discovered during her visit to Gastronometro, in her recipes. 2-Michelin-Star Spanish Chef Fernando Perez serves tea to his guests at his restaurant. "He serves ayran in a glass. Our new motto is the compass of the steps we will take in the coming years. We will continue to work passionately, never giving up on our dream of Turkish cuisine," he said.

Gastronometro is 10 Years Old! | HORECA TREND

Each Signed Work Was Reflected on Special Plates for the 10th Anniversary

Reflecting Metro Türkiye's passion for gastronomy, its commitment to embracing this field, and its vision to shape the sector, the platform celebrated its 10th anniversary with a special culinary experience prepared by Gastronometro chefs. The plates served at the celebration reflected Gastronometro's philosophy of "uniting the flavors of the past with the vision of the future." The signature plates, meticulously created over the past 10 years, symbolized Gastronometro's activities to date, the values ​​it has brought to Turkish cuisine, and the impact it has made on the gastronomic ecosystem. Prepared with local Turkish ingredients and interpreted with modern gastronomic techniques, the plates offered guests an experience that instilled both respect for their roots and the courage to innovate, bringing Gastronometro's inspiring story to the table and providing an unforgettable experience.

Source: HORECA TREND and Metro Türkiye

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