Jure

He was to take over his father’s bakery, but joined the sommeliers instead. After becoming a national champion, he started meeting people who inspired him: known Slovenian chefs and wine-makers. He travelled the world, ate and learnt. His challenge was to open his own restaurant and prove himself with hard work and creativity.

“Chefs are only a cherry on the cake, the essence is in the ingredients. Don’t process them too much to make something delicious.” To prove that simple, but excellent locally grown produce from Posavje can make a superb dish, he attended the Barilla Pasta World Championship and won by using fresh goat cheese, pumpkin flowers and dust, and pumpkin seed oil. His formula of combining innovation, boldness and quality really worked, as his Gault & Millau Slovenia’s Chef of the Future 2020 title has also proven.

He never skimps on ingredients and always wants the best. He finds them near Brežice in the Posavje region, known for the Krškopolje pig, duck, trout from the Krka River, pumpkin seed oil, dairy products and fruit. He cooperates with the Sevnica Cooperative to obtain information on breeders of animals and their diets. Through a creative process with some experimenting, he generates a culinary masterpiece that can be combined with perfectly paired wine, appreciated by his guests from around the world.

“Exceptional hospitality of Tomič and his team is the soul of the restaurant,” cited the JRE Association in 2019 when awarding Ošterija Debeluh for best service. “Service starts with a hello and ends with a goodbye. If a chef makes a brand of oneself, then it is fitting to welcome the guests. When they are pleased and want to congratulate me in person and have a photo taken with me, it’s great. No money can replace that and I’ve never calculated how much I’ll make. A good plate is only part of an event that a guest experiences in your restaurant. Their overall well-being must be underlined,” says Tomič. His mother also adds to the personal note, and some guests are already asking about her when making a reservation. “Will she be there?” they ask; she’s very popular. Tomič’s brother is his right hand in the kitchen. Passion is the basis for their work. “Everything evolves around work, my whole life, events, even company. When neighbours invite me to a party, they worry about what to serve me. I’m no snob, but a very simple man. I’m happy with some home-grown endive.”