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The development of top-tier gastronomy and professional training is essential to strengthening Croatia’s luxury tourism offer. With this in mind, the prestigious French culinary institute École Ducasse held its first masterclass of the year in Split, bringing together professional chefs from leading Croatian hotels and students from vocational schools. The two-day workshop took place at the Split School of Tourism and Hospitality as part of the first training cycle in Croatia, while the second cycle is planned for later this year in Pula.
The workshop in Split was led by culinary arts chef instructor Frédéric Rose. Drawing on his extensive international experience, Rose shared valuable advice, knowledge and practical skills with participants through hands-on work in the school’s modern training kitchen, located at the Akademis FiT Split centre.
École Ducasse was founded by multi-Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse. Since its establishment, the institute has gained international recognition for its commitment to excellence in culinary and pastry education. With campuses in France and abroad, the institution offers high-level training programmes that combine French culinary heritage with innovation and contemporary techniques. Through its global network of schools and expert chef instructors, École Ducasse trains new generations of chefs and hospitality professionals in line with the highest international standards.
"At École Ducasse, we believe excellence is built through the combination of technique, creativity and precision. The workshop participants demonstrated exactly that: readiness, dedication and a genuine passion for gastronomy. By combining local ingredients with hard work and commitment, we created distinctive dishes of exceptional quality," said Frédéric Rose, culinary arts chef instructor at École Ducasse. Since its founding, École Ducasse has placed a strong focus on excellence, precision and contemporary gastronomic techniques, and its values and commitment to gastronomy have earned it numerous international culinary awards and recognitions for excellence.
Twenty-eight chefs and kitchen managers from prestigious Croatian hotels took part in the masterclass in Split, and interest in participating was exceptionally strong.
"High-end gastronomy makes a strong contribution to Croatia’s luxury tourism offer, and we are therefore extremely pleased with the high level of interest in this masterclass. Bringing the École Ducasse masterclass to Croatia confirms how important it is to invest in professionals and talents who are ready to learn and raise the standards of Croatian gastronomy and luxury hospitality," said Nenad Nizić, President of the Impresia Association.
A particularly valuable element of the project is the inclusion of eight vocational school students, who earned their place through the “Discover Our Stories” invitation-based competition. With their motivation letters and clear passion for culinary arts, they stood out among many applicants and gained the unique opportunity to observe the workshop up close and assist Chef Frédéric Rose.
"We believe student education is extremely important for the future and excellence of tourism. Practical learning and listening to experts first-hand mean a great deal for the further development of their careers. We have been working with the Impresia Association on educating young tourism professionals for four years now, and the success of the project is reflected in the growing interest and involvement of students. We are especially pleased that our school is hosting this year’s first École Ducasse masterclass," emphasised Ivo Bilić, Principal of the Split School of Tourism and Hospitality.
The culinary masterclass forms part of this year’s “Discover Our Stories” programme cycle, implemented by the Impresia Association as part of the broader “Sustainable Tourism, Sustainable Careers – Fast Forward to Excellence” project, with support and co-financing from the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, and in partnership with the Association of Croatian Hotel Entrepreneurs (UPUHH), the Croatian Camping Association (KUH) and Jeunes Restaurateurs (JRE).
"The development of competitive and sustainable tourism is unthinkable without continuous staff training. Connecting Croatian professionals and students with international experts contributes to stronger competencies, knowledge exchange and the long-term raising of professional standards across the sector," the Ministry of Tourism and Sport stated.
Following the successful first training cycle in Split, École Ducasse will continue its education programme in Croatia. The second cycle of this dynamic programme will take place in November in Pula.
