Taste Balaton 2025 already in the planning stage

First, we set the date for the 2nd Taste Balaton:  7-16 March, 2025. We have managed to move the country, filling up many, many restaurants here on the shores of Lake Balaton in early spring. That’s a big word! I live near Lake Balaton, and I am sufficiently biased. I know that the lake and its surroundings show a different face in every season, and that there is beauty in each one. As both a visitor and a professional, I would say that it is worth exploring in spring, autumn and winter, because the stereotypes that Lake Balaton is synonymous with summer, fried dough with sour cream and cheese and beach season are not true. This area is fantastic all year round. As Károly Eötvös rhetorically put it: “Lake Balaton is a place of dreams and poetry, history and tradition, a collection of sweet and sad tales, an ancient nest of strange Hungarian people, a pride of the past and a bright hope for the future.”

Yes, we managed to launch the brand itself, that was the first objective.

Perhaps it says a lot that almost everyone who was involved on the organiser-host side will be back. Members also filled in a questionnaire before we met to discuss their experiences. I would like to list the call words that I have received in this way: a good initiative, a niche event, a lively, attention-grabbing, imaginative, youthful, well-organised, immensely colourful, free-spirited event where nature and culture met with a high level of local gastronomy.

We set an all-time record for the number of guests in March. We had programmes every day and they were very good, sometimes uplifting – we felt that way ourselves, but also the feedback from the guests confirms it. Maybe also because it was an informal and relaxed atmosphere, the chefs, the waiters, the performers and myself all became one in the same story. Anyone was free to ask questions, there was a debate which was unplanned, improvisational and thought-provoking. And from the organisers’ side, we were able to see and hear what people are interested in and receptive to. In addition to the culinary experiences, we were all culturally enriched, and it seems that this multi-sensory “show” with its emphasis on “storytelling” works.

This one, however, if possible, even better. Of course we drew lessons, each participating member from his or her point of view. It is already certain that the bike line will be further strengthened. BalatonBike365 was our partner again this year, and guests were able to use electric bikes to travel between the venues. With the exception of two days, the weather was perfect for cycling – but I would like to point out that the programmes are otherwise weather-independent. It would be good if next year it would also be possible to circumnavigate Lake Balaton by train and sail across it, so that guests could get from one place to another – we still have to work on this, both on communication and on the background cooperation. But there would be many positives: it would probably add more venues to the day, and it would also free up the tasting for example – which is why we are trying to get more winemakers involved. We would like the event to generate many more guest nights than this year. The funds available on the SZÉP card can also be used at Taste Balaton – this is important, as well.

Not secretly because we want to attract foreigners as well as Hungarians. From the very beginning, the aim was to open up internationally: Graz, Maribor, Ljubljana, Zagreb – not a long distance from Lake Balaton, and visitors from neighbouring countries can get a taste of the whole destination at a time when it’s not like one festival after another in their own backyard. We are already starting to promote it in the summer, and in the autumn we will confirm that this event will take place in the spring, and we want more and more people to plan it, and for those who do plan it to mark it in their diaries for a longer period. But I must also say that we do not want this to become a mass event. There is a limit beyond which a venue or programme is no longer viable – so we need to work on providing a very rich and colourful programme in many venues at the same time, and to ensure that there is a good spread of visitors everywhere. It should be remembered that Taste Balaton is for those who prefer small, exclusive programmes to mass events.

I sincerely hope that other regions will be inspired to organise a similar extraordinary event.

It is a requirement for the members to create a Taste Balaton menu or menus for this occasion that is special and conveys the essence of Lake Balaton – and this will be the case next year, too. It is not up to us, the idea creators, to decide who organises what kind of programme. A gastronomic tour, a fashion show, a cooking workshop – anything can work. The key is to be self-identified and to convey the values and mission of the given place. I’m also looking forward to next year’s programme!