The 12th Game Culinary Festival, organized by Vadex Mezőföldi Erdő és Vadgazdaság Zrt. was held in Soponya. The gastronomic festival was opened by Minister of State for Land Affairs Márton Bitay.
In his speech, Mr. Bitay emphasised that the Ministry is also working hard to increase the share of game meat in mass catering, but this is not an easy task as the taste of game meat significantly differs from what children are used to. The Minister of State said he considers it important that such festivals should provide opportunities for visitors to familiarise themselves with the taste and cooking of game meat, and thus increase the popularity of venison, wild boar and mouflon meat. Gastronomic festivals are therefore highly important in this, he pointed out, praising the work the organisers had invested to produce an event of outstanding quality.
Visitors attending the festival can enjoy culinary experiences, as the best chefs will compete to provide a unique taste experience for guests. The Minister of State stressed that the amount of game meat sold on the domestic retail market by Vadex Zrt in 2017 exceeded 70,500 kg, which represents a significant increase compared to last year's 61,600 kg, and is facilitated by the festival and the activity of Forest Delicatessen stores. Mr. Bitay expressed his appreciation to Vadex Zrt and the sponsors for organising the festival and popularising game meat consumption.
The ingredients of the game dishes around which the event was organised were supplied by Vadex’s Game Meat Processing Plant. The plant began operation in 1973 in Soponya, a village in the southern part of Fejér County. Thanks to the professionalism and technology applied in the plant, the high-quality goods produced in Soponya are one of the healthiest food ingredients on the market. The food is high in minerals, fibres and vitamins, and low in fat. Due to these characteristics, game meat has a prominent place in the palette of healthy foods.