Albanian businesses "invade" Berlin/ Over 100 companies succeed in "Global Albanian Gastronomy"

2024-10-04 10:40:00, Qyteti im CNA

Albanian businesses "invade" Berlin/ Over 100 companies succeed in

Illustrative photo

Over 100 companies from Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, the diaspora, as well as German companies with Albanian ownership came together for two consecutive days at the "Global Albanian Gastronomy" fair. This gastronomy festival was held for the first time, while hundreds of Albanian companies presented the best values ??that carry and exceeded the excellence and success of Albanian businesses in Berlin.

CNA closely followed this fair, through the journalist Elvi Fundo, who saw the stands with the most diverse products, as well as met businessmen and representatives of Albanian companies. In the "Arena Halle" of Berlin, there were numerous gastronomy enterprises, such as restaurants, various artisanal products, such as artisanal beer or artisanal ice cream, organic oil production businesses and so on.

ARBANA OSMANI PRESENTS "BANA'S" AT "GLOBAL ALBANIAN GASTRONOMY"

Albanian businesses "invade" Berlin/ Over 100 companies succeed in

The surprise of this fair was the participation of Arbana Osmani, who has chosen to present her restaurant "Bana's" to the German public. Arbana Osmani decided to share with CNA some of the strategies for her business and how the passion to open this restaurant was born, which from its beginnings was very successful and was welcomed by Albanians. Less than a year after the opening of "Bana's", the restaurant has 3 outlets in Tirana, Shkodër and Pristina. Osmani reveals that her immediate goal is to expand in the European market, opening restaurants in Germany and Switzerland.

"'Bana's' started from a passion of mine for the kitchen, culinary and the desire to eat well. I have published two books, which actually have the recipes of my mother and grandmother, but also from my travels. No great invention, but a desire to share good recipes with my followers. It was born out of passion, continued with the desire to take this brand to a higher level. We haven't done 1 year yet and we have three points, one in Tirana, one in Shkodër and one in Pristina. We are looking at the opportunity to expand in the European market, such as in Germany or Switzerland", said Osmani.

Arbana Osmani is one of the well-established moderators in the Albanian media market, and we couldn't help but ask her which of the two worlds is more beautiful, the culinary one or the media one.

"They are different, but to say that the culinary world has less stress, it is more therapeutic. I think the brand got the attention, that I was a well-known character, but no one will eat bad things because they like Arbana. I think that success is work", Osmani said.

"ROZAFA" "LANDS" IN BERLIN

Albanian businesses "invade" Berlin/ Over 100 companies succeed in

In this grand event, "Rozafa", a leading company in the fish industry in Albania, known for its gastronomy, could not be missed. With many fishing vessels and 4 important processing centers, "Rozafa" has become the giant of the fishing fleet in the Adriatic and Mediterranean seas. The "Rozafa" company of entrepreneur Gjergj Luca owns a network of restaurants in Tirana, Elbasan, Maliq and Shengjin.

SELITA WATER, AT THE BERLIN FAIR

Albanian businesses "invade" Berlin/ Over 100 companies succeed in

Participating in the fair was also Selita water, which has been present in the Albanian market for 3 years, while in a very short time it has become one of the most preferred water products for Albanians. The aim of this brand is to expand globally, including Germany.

"Selita water has been on the Albanian market for three years. We have many formats, starting from 0.33 L and ending at 5L of plastic. Then in the glass section, we have three formats, such as natural and sparkling water. We are in this fair to be in many countries, to market globally. We also aim at Germany. It is a water with mineral values ??that is very suitable for the German market."

KOSOVO ICE CREAM "SANREMO ICE CREAM", AT THE BERLIN FAIR

Albanian businesses "invade" Berlin/ Over 100 companies succeed in

Journalist Elvi Fundo talked to one of the Kosovo businessmen, who brought "Sanremo Ice Cream" to the fair, an artisanal ice cream originally produced in Prizren and already sold in Berlin for a year. The plans of "Sanremo Ice Cream" are to internationalize the brand in the next 5 years.

"'Sanremo Ice Cream' is produced in Prizren, it is artisanal, with Italian recipes. Until now it has been traded in the market of Kosovo. We have been selling it in Berlin for a year. It is certified and controlled according to standards. It is going very well in Berlin as well, the plans are from Berlin to spread throughout Europe. The concept is also very interesting for bars and gastronomy to be used. The goals are for this brand to become known, in 5 years to become known in Europe and then to internationalize".

"GRANDFATHER'S BEER", AT THE BERLIN FAIR

Albanian businesses "invade" Berlin/ Over 100 companies succeed in

Among the many stands was "Grandfather Beer", an artisanal product with a special taste for fans of this product. Beer is produced in the city of Pogradec. This product has entered the market since 2019 and aims to penetrate the international market, and why not compete with German beers with the special feature that consists in its production and composition.

"'Grandfather Beer' is artisanal and was born as a desire to consume a special and healthy product, and especially to consume a biological product. Produced in Pogradec. Beer has been on the market since 2019. That's why we're here. You can't imitate German beers, but we have a distinct style for a market that likes craft beer and can approach it as something special. It is an unfiltered beer, without preservatives, it is natural. These are two Belgian styles with 4.4% alcohol and 5.5% alcohol.

"MUSAI" OLIVE OIL, IN "GLOBAL ALBANIAN GASTRONOMY"

Albanian businesses "invade" Berlin/ Over 100 companies succeed in

Albania is known for the production of high quality olive oil. One of the businesses that brings customers extra virgin organic oil, since 1995, is the 'Musai' olive oil. "Musai" olive oil competes in the domestic and foreign market as a certified bio/organic product by international institutions. The oil is marketed in many countries of the world, including the American one, while it aims for a wider reach in Europe, specifically in Germany.

"The company has been on the market since 1995, so next year we will be 30 years old. The product is certified organic. It is a super quality product. We produce an olive oil from the autochthonous Kalinjot variety of Vlora. The technology we use in our company is one of the latest technologies. Year by year we improve in technology. This has shown that the production is of high quality and we have been awarded 17 gold medals in international competitions. We have the oil in the European market, also in England, but the best market we have is the American market. We have been very stable in the American market for years. In the European market, we have it in some clients, in some segments. We aim at the German market, it is one of the best markets, we have had it and we intend to relaunch it as a product. The Germans are a bit difficult, because they are not familiar with the superior quality of olive oil. Germans are used to mild oil, while the Calignot variety is characterized by a strong aroma and the best elements that oil should have."

"SHKALLA SH", HISTORY DATING 100 YEARS AGO

Albanian businesses "invade" Berlin/ Over 100 companies succeed in

"Scale Sh." is another Albanian company that participated in "Global Albanian Gastronomy". Created in 1996, "Scale Sh." produces organic extra virgin oil. Its products were at the stand of the Albanian Investment Development Agency.

This product is the winner of several international awards. The company has been included in global olive oil catalogs since 2007. Thanks to continuous efforts and with the assistance of foreign donors, "Shkalla Sh." exports organic extra virgin olive oil to Switzerland, as well as produces for the local market. Participation in the gastronomy festival aims to further penetrate the foreign market, mainly the German one.

"Global Albanian Gastronomy" offered two days of extraordinary opportunities, full of meetings with prominent figures and renowned gastronomes. Inspiring discussions, promotions and delicious tastings of our traditional foods took place, while the fair was visited by thousands of foreign and Albanian citizens. Albanian businesses came together to enjoy and appreciate the riches of our tradition.

Berlin spoke in Albanian on October 2 and 3 and showed that Albanians know how to shine when they come together!/ CNA