19 August, Vitebsk /Alena Tikhonova - BELTA/. Specialists in trade and public catering from Polotsk will improve their skills in Lithuania, Sweden, and Latvia, as reported to BELTA by the Polotsk District Executive Committee.
Under the project "Improving Culinary Services in Latgale and Vitebsk Regions based on the Culinary Heritage Concept" (Bella Cuisine), representatives of 6 trade organizations from Polotsk will undertake three- and five-day training trips in August-September this year to the cities of Zarasai (Lithuania), Karlshamn (Sweden), and Krāslava (Latvia).
Representatives of Polotsk District will visit 11 Lithuanian culinary heritage sites: the water mill in Šlininkai, meat product manufacturing enterprises, "Alaušinė" eco-tourism homesteads, and other facilities. Five days of training in Sweden will allow Polotsk specialists to enhance their theoretical skills in marketing, regional operations, proper use of logos and marketing materials, as well as to present their developments for improving the quality of culinary services. The training trip program includes visits to a bakery, shop, cafe, and restaurant.
In September, Polotsk residents will visit the Latvian city of Krāslava, where they will learn about the activities of peasant farms, recreation centers, bread museums, rural houses, the Ludza Craftsmen Centre, guesthouses, breweries, fish farms, enterprises producing homemade wine, bread, cakes, pizzas, and pies, and snail farming.
Currently, 30 catering enterprises from the Vitebsk region (restaurants, cafes, guesthouses, rural homesteads, food producers) are participating in the Bella Cuisine project, including 6 enterprises from Polotsk District, 6 from Lepel District, 6 from Glubokoe District, 6 from Verkhnedvinsk District, and 6 from Miory District.
It is planned to develop a joint Bella Cuisine culinary heritage route and to hold events to promote culinary heritage. The Belarusian partners in the international project have rich culinary traditions and a special culinary heritage, therefore, the improvement of the culinary sector in Polotsk District should become one of the strong points of the region's tourism sector, the District Executive Committee is confident.-0-