- Says Florin George Baki, the Făgărășa native who impressed the chefs of the most famous restaurants in Europe with his dishes
- Three days of culinary art with professional chefs at the „Chefs’ Arena” competition organized by Selgros
” If you do your job with passion and put your soul into every gesture, the rewards come without a doubt. Cooking is art and it must remain so in all kitchens. The culinary preparations put on the plate mean a creative work in which the taste, appearance, color are harmoniously combined, there must be a perfect balance between all of these. If your preparations are appreciated, it can be seen in the customer’s eyes. And a satisfied customer is worth a thousand words, ” is the opinion of Florin George Baki, the Făgărășa native who has delighted the chefs of the most famous restaurants in Europe with his preparations. He won first place at the largest competition in Romania, the Chefs’ Arena.
Chefs’ Arena and Selgros
Selgros Cash&Carry, one of the most important operators in Romanian commerce, organized the final of the eighth edition of Arena Bucătarilor in Bucharest between September 6-8. For 3 days, Selgros Băneasa hosted a culinary art show where professionals and food enthusiasts had the opportunity to see world-renowned chefs in action, members of the Arena Bucătarilor jury, as well as the 14 finalists who competed for the grand prize. The best of the competitors received a one-week training at the Oxford Thames Four Pillars Hotel restaurant in England, under the guidance of one of the most appreciated Romanian chefs, Chef Claudio Costea.
The jury is made up of world-renowned chefs
The jury of the Arena Bucătarilor 2016 final was composed of chefs with extensive experience in international cuisines such as Chef Philippe Hardy – Executive Chef Le Mascaret Paris (Michelin Star Chef), Chef Emmanuel Hamon – Pastry Chef, Chocolatier and Confectioner/Ambassador of the Luker brand, Chef Marc Galais – Transgourmet France, as well as Chef Claudio Costea – Executive Chef Oxford Thames Four Pillars – recommended by the Michelin Guide. The jury’s mission was a difficult one because the level of difficulty of the competition increased from one edition to another. The 14 finalists in the Arena were evaluated based on the accuracy and coherence of the recipe, the presentation of the ingredients and the production process, ingenuity, creativity, the appearance of the finished product and working techniques.
Diplomas and prizes at the end of 3 days of competition
All 14 competitors received participation certificates, and the top three in the hierarchy established by the scores awarded by the jury were rewarded with certificates and prizes. Thus:
- 1st place – 10,000 lei and a week-long training at the Oxford Thames Four Pillars Hotel restaurant in England, under the guidance of one of the most appreciated Romanian chefs, Chef Claudio Costea- Florin Baki
- 2nd place – 7,000 lei – Laurențiu Hairadin
- 3rd Place – 5,000 lei – Alin Murariu
14 special prizes were also awarded by the Organizer’s partners.
Chef’s Day
The first day of the event, September 6, was Chef’s Day. They demonstrated their skill and craftsmanship in preparing culinary dishes through demonstrations, workshops, but also through trainings held with the finalists.
– 10:00 – 13:00 – Cooking with Europa FM – The members of the Despêtarea team, Vlad Petreanu and Luca Pastia, supported by the audience by their colleague George Zafiu, dueled in the art of cooking, each with a renowned chef, respectively Claudio Costea and Cezar Munteanu
– 13:00 – Unilever Food Solution – Demo Robert Voicu and Laszlo Szabolcs
– 14:00 – Chef Jakob Hausmann – Demo professional shredders
– 15:00 – Callebaut representative – Chocolate demo
– 16:00 – Demo – Chef Philippe Hardy
– 17:00 – Chef Ioan Florescu/Philippe Hardy/Emmanuel Hamon/Cezar Munteanu/Nico Lontras/ Constantin Ghimpu contest training
– 18:30 – The draw for the order of entry into the contest for the 14 winning competitors of the semi-finals organized by region took place.
