Gabriela Filca: In the realm of the most famous French cheeses

Visiting the 800-meter-deep cellar where some of the world's most famous cheeses have been ripening since 1863 was a truly unique experience for me. What fascinated me the most was the fact that only 4 grams of penicillium are needed per 5,000 liters of milk, in order to produce 400 kilograms of Roquefort cheese. And all this happens inside the mountain, the ripening cellars were built on 8 levels of caves in the rock whose stone has „fleurines” cracks, which allow a natural thermal and hygrometric regulation of cellars. Even if I was a bit anxious, I pushed my hand into one of those fleurines, and then put my face on it! I was not bitten by a hidden beast, I just felt the flow of cold, fresh and moist air. When at the end of our cave trip we tasted cheeses in combination with sweet gingerbread and dessert wine, everything was much more intense than when we eat them in a restaurant or at home" - says 24 - year old Gabriela Filca, chef of Nebo Restaurant & Lounge by Deni Srdoč situated in Rijeka.

Together with Hrvoje Kroflin, the chef of the Mano2 restaurant in Zagreb, and Roko Nikolić, the chef of the Split restaurant ZOI, she won the Trophy Great Chef of Tomorrow by Gault&Millau Croatia 2024. The awards were handed to them by the representatives of Dukat company whose brand Président cheese is the partner of Gault&Millau Croatia. Beside the trophies, they rewarded the chefs with the trip to Roquefort Société. Roko Nikolić gave up this excursion at the last moment due to illness, and Hrvoje Kroflin, prevented by previously agreed commitments, rewarded the young chef at his restaurant, Luka Majhen, with a trip. Thus, Gabriela and Luka, accompanied by Zoran Ković - general manager of Dukat, Iva Kuhtić - marketing director, Goran Gaćina - brand director, Ingrid Badurina Danielsson, Director of Gault&Millau Croatia and Dubravka Tomeković Aralica – Gault&Millau Croatia Executive director, visited one of the 14 sheep farms from whose milk Roquefort Société produces cheeses. Additionally, in the restaurants Capion Millau and Les Fleurines they had the opportunity to taste local specialties, in which the main star is the noble cheese with blue molds.

The visit ended with a meeting with Lionel Levy, the president of the association Gourméditerranée during the dinner at the restaurant L'Arbre Blanc in Montpellier.