Chef Branimir Tomašić- Traditional Chef of the Year 2018

Mala hiža restaurant in Mačkovec, not far away from Čakovec, is a legendary restaurant led by its good spirit, owner and chef Branimir Tomašić. 16 years ago Branimir Tomašić and his family decided to change their lives and opened their own restaurant. It was quite a challenge, not only because Branimir worked in the printing industry at that time, but also because, in recognizing the potential of the Međimurje region, he moved an old oak house built in 1887 from the ​Zagreb area to the present location of Mala hiža. 

The chef has designed the concept of his cuisine with the help of his family, and his culinary philosophy is based on his own interpretation of traditional recipes of the Međimurje region and local ingredients. The seasonality of the produce, to which he pays special attention, is reflected in the seasonal character of the menu, which offers specialties from Međimurje at all times. He says that at the beginning of his endeavour he had problems with availability of fruits and vegetables, and had to travel to Zagreb get them at the Dolac farmers’ market. Today, most of it is supplied locally. He’s proud that even asparagus can be found today in Mursko Središće and Mala Subotica, and if there is any produce he can’t purchase locally, he grows it in his own garden. That being said, nature remains his biggest inspiration: apart from porcini, chanterelle and other mushrooms, his dishes include young nettle, elderberry, dill, etc.

Branimir Tomašić has always been drawn to cooking. He knew exactly what he wanted and proved that popular gastronomic destinations can also be created outside the big cities. Many guests from all over Croatia have been flocking to Mala hiža for years, and as of lately, many foreign tourists as well. Chef Branimir is one of the people responsible for Gornje Međimurje being selected as one of the European Destinations of Excellence (EDEN) in the tourism and local gastronomy category. Fostering the tradition of the Međimurje region, the love of local food, and especially his honest passion and commitment to work brought chef Branimir Tomašić great success on the Croatian gastronomic scene as well as the prestigious Gault&Millau Trophy for the Traditional Chef of the Year 2018.