„VITAMINKA GOOD FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL“
A Rhapsody of Traditional Food and Fine Wines Delighted Belgraders!
The entire experience was complemented by performances from Jellena, the children’s choir “Juke Vox,” and string orchestras.
Belgrade, September 28, 2024 – The “Vitaminka Good Food & Wine Festival,” which this year gathered over 50 exhibitors from Serbia and the region, was held yesterday in Knez Mihailova Street on the plateau in front of the Rajićeva Shopping Center. As one of the most significant open-air economic events, the festival, now in its sixth year, has promoted small and medium enterprises and showcased the best agricultural producers and processors, representatives of the wine industry, as well as the authenticity, tradition, and gastronomic culture of our country. Under the slogan “Everything You Wish For,” Belgraders and visitors to our city had the opportunity to sample and purchase cured meat delicacies and dairy products made according to traditional recipes, the best wines and rakijas, honey, organic juices, and homemade sweets from various parts of Serbia, all at fair prices.
– On the world gastronomic map, our country is known for its exceptionally delicious food, rakija, and wines, and there are more and more tourists, both foreign and domestic, who want to discover the richness of our gastronomic culture. This is why we strive every year to present the tourist potential of Serbia in the best possible way at our festival, stated Pavle Cimbaljević, PR of the “Vitaminka Good Food & Wine Festival.” Food lovers had the chance to purchase products at festival prices and enjoy various activities throughout the entire day. The stand of the company “Vitaminka” a.d. Banja Luka, the renowned producer of pasteurized products from the Republic of Srpska, which is making a strong return to the Serbian market through the retail chain Univerexport, attracted special attention. Visitors could taste delicious pasteurized products without preservatives – from ajvar and rich winter preserves to homemade jams and juices prepared according to traditional recipes, and many tried their luck in prize games and the wheel of fortune. Even after the festival, “Vitaminka” will present its products to the public at the same location on September 29, and later from October 3 to 6.
Producers from Zlatibor, known for their famous prosciutto, dairy products, and honey, were represented within the Zlatibor Corner, organized by “Zlatiborski Eko Agrar,” a company founded by the Municipality of Čajetina. Among the six exhibitors was the famous dairy “Naša Zlatka” from Kriva Reka, which presented its cheese and cream that left no one indifferent, as they are produced according to traditional recipes without preservatives. “The only preservative is salt,” they proudly declared.
To the delight of several thousand visitors, the entertainment did not disappoint. The official opening of this sensory festival was marked by a flash mob and the first public performance of the “JukeVox” choir, a children’s ensemble of the famous a cappella choir “Viva Vox.” The pop singer Jelena Lalović, known as Jellena, who is making a major comeback to the domestic music scene with a new project this year, and the fantastic female string quartet from the “Dr. Vojislav Vučković” music school and the string orchestra from the “Davorin Jenko” music school also contributed to the lively atmosphere. The main stage also hosted workshops, presentations, prize games, and a festival raffle, where the luckiest won valuable gifts from exhibitors and sponsors.
At the official opening, the journalistic jury presented awards to the most outstanding producers in 13 categories, as well as to those who contributed to promoting Serbia’s economic and tourism potential.
As every year, the festival’s ambassador was Miša Ćirić, a knight of Serbian wine, and a renowned promoter of Serbian traditions and values, who, dressed in knightly attire, charmed attendees alongside the Queen of Wine, Božica Velousis, and the Ratislav Blagojevic and Gledanice Ensemble.
About the Festival
The Good Food & Wine Festival was first held in 2019 and in the following five years hosted tens of thousands of visitors at Belgrade’s Sava Promenade. Over the years, it has been regarded as the most prestigious gastronomic and wine event, supported by the Ministry of Trade, Tourism, and Telecommunications and the City of Belgrade’s Secretariat for Economy. This year, the festival, organized by the Association Centar Spektar, was held for the first time in the heart of the city, in Knez Mihailova Street. In 2021, the festival was crowned with the “Star of Belgrade” award, as one of the best events supported by the City of Belgrade that year.
This year’s festival was supported by “Vitaminka” a.d. Banja Luka, the general sponsor, as well as festival partners Zlatiborac, Activ Pharm, Goodwill, and Hotel Balkan.
The media sponsors of the festival were: Alo, Telegraf, SRNA, Dnevnik, Fokus Radio, 24 Sedam, Naxi Radio, Republika, Borba, Caffe Bar, Radio Luna, Sputnik, Kuća dobrih vesti, Agrosmart, Užice Media, Gastro Tour, Teleporter, Agroklub, Balkan Trip, Radio Kiss Lazarevac, as well as the portals Balkantravel and Putovanja i turizam.