On 4 and 5 November, the Palladium Riga concert hall hosted the first Riga Gastronomy Forum, bringing together around 200 chefs, restaurant owners, gastronomy experts and hospitality professionals from Latvia, its Baltic neighbours and other European countries. Over two days, Riga became a meeting place for conversations about gastronomy as a creative profession, a business and a field for future innovation. The forum was opened by Viesturs Kleinbergs, Chairman of Riga City Council.
The programme brought together fields that do not always share the same conversation: the experience of leading restaurants, the potential of local produce, fermentation, food design and emerging technologies. Speakers from Latvia and abroad also explored the role of artificial intelligence in food and hospitality. Alongside creativity and craftsmanship, the programme placed people at its heart, addressing teamwork, leadership, stress, the risk of burnout and the wellbeing of those working in the industry. This broad perspective gave the inaugural forum its distinctive character, opening up a conversation not only about what we will put on our plates, but also about how we will shape the industry’s future.
“Riga’s gastronomic story does not end at the restaurant door. Food production is one of the city’s high-value-added industries, while advances in research and development in fields such as enzyme engineering and microbiome research are opening up new possibilities for food technology. Our ambition is to bring these strengths together: the creativity of chefs, the experience of entrepreneurs and the ideas of scientists. The first Riga Gastronomy Forum is a step in that direction. It is a place where conversations about an exceptional meal can also lead to thinking about new products, collaboration and Riga’s international competitiveness. We want people to choose Riga not only as a place to discover outstanding flavours, but also as a place to create the future of food,” says Fredis Bikovs, Director of the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency (RITA).
Craftsmanship, local flavours and the future of food
Discussions and masterclasses offered insights into a range of culinary approaches, from pastry and coffee-making to fresh interpretations of local ingredients. International experience met a question that also resonates with Latvian chefs: how can we preserve the flavours that define a place while creating something new? The forum’s speakers sought answers in kitchen practice, science and their own professional experience.
The forum’s speakers included:
Matthias Diether (Estonia/Germany) shared the story of Tallinn restaurant 180° by Matthias Diether and its journey to two MICHELIN stars. It is the first restaurant in Estonia and the Baltic states to have received this distinction.
Colin Wheeler-James (United Kingdom, Ground Up Cookery School) explored local and forgotten ingredients, fermentation and the creative use of food scraps. His presentation and a panel discussion on the topic encouraged a broader view of ingredients, revealing opportunities for new flavours even in what is often left over in the kitchen.
Food designer and future scenarios researcher Chloé Rutzerveld (the Netherlands) invited the audience to imagine how our food might change in the future. She also explored growing food from cell cultures, prompting discussion about the role of science, technology and design in the evolution of food systems.
Raimonds Tomsons, winner of the 2023 World’s Best Sommelier title, examined changing alcohol consumption habits and a shift towards more considered, quality-led choices. His perspective on wine culture and consumer behaviour added to the conversation about evolving guest expectations and how restaurants are adapting their offerings in response.
Fabrizio Fiorani (Italy) and David Cutler-Colclough (Lavazza UK & Nordics) led a Lavazza morning of pastry and coffee-making masterclasses, complementing the discussion programme with practical insights into the craftsmanship of both disciplines.
Krumma Jónsdóttir (Iceland) addressed the wellbeing of hospitality professionals, the risks of stress and burnout, and the ability to sustain professional performance over the long term. Her contribution was a reminder that no conversation about the industry’s future is complete without considering the people who work in it.
Elīna Kokina, Head of the Swiss Programme Division at the State Education and Development Agency, and Mike Khun, Deputy Director and Head of Education and Professional Development at Hotel & Gastro formation Schweiz, presented Swiss best practices in youth education and in engaging young people in hospitality. Their presentation brought the perspective of vocational education and the training of future professionals to the forum’s conversation about the industry’s future.
Aleksandrs Nasikailovs (Latvia/Thailand), chef at The White House Bangkok, spoke about his interpretation of Latvian culinary traditions using local Thai ingredients. His experience highlighted a question of gastronomic identity: how can chefs use the produce of another country while preserving and sharing their own sense of Latvian flavour with guests?
Ieva Treija and Raimonds Tomsons looked back on the inaugural Mārtiņš Rītiņš Award of Excellence event in their presentation, “The Mārtiņš Rītiņš Award of Excellence”.
A sense of place and a connection to one’s roots ran through the stories of several speakers. They showed that gastronomic identity is about more than reproducing traditional recipes. It is also a personal approach to ingredients, flavours and the experience a chef wishes to share with each guest.
“Contemporary gastronomy demands continuous development and the courage to experiment. The Riga Gastronomy Forum offers Latvian chefs and hospitality experts a unique opportunity to meet the industry’s visionaries right here at home. The Chefs’ Club is delighted to take part in projects of this scale, because the exchange of knowledge is the driving force that can put our restaurants on the map as destinations in their own right,” says Artūrs Arnicāns, Chairman of the Board of the Chefs’ Club.
About the Riga Gastronomy Forum
The Riga Gastronomy Forum was organised by the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency in collaboration with the Chefs’ Club. The organisers aim to establish the forum as a regular event for exchanging professional experience and ideas, supporting the development and international profile of gastronomy in Riga and Latvia. The forum was intended for invited industry professionals and, on this occasion, was not open to the public.