The international network of Rotary clubs is renowned as a highly effective fund-raising community. Its members not only secure financial resources for public benefit projects through cultural or sporting events, but also via inter-club activities. In the Prague region, tasting dinners have been a popular fixture for several years. Vojtěch Havránek, organiser of these gatherings, member of the Praha City Rotary Club, and professionally the founder and managing partner of TITBIT, shared more with us.
🖊 Mgr. Svatopluk K. Jedlička | archiv Rotary
When and how did the idea of organising these gatherings come about?
A love for food and organising various food-related events has a generally positive tradition among people, but the birth of this specific joy (and responsibility) under the Rotary banner only dates back about fifteen years. At that time, in the Praha Classic Rotary Club, I met Benjamin Kuras, the well-known author and restaurant reviewer of, for instance, the EURO magazine. Through our shared passion for food and thanks to his contacts, the informal Rotary Gourmet Fellowship was born. Our first meeting took place at Richter’s Villa. Later, we followed up with a visit to the then newly opened Sansho restaurant.
Which of the major dinners received the greatest response?
Thanks to the collaboration between my food company and the national AKC CR team (The Association of Chefs and Pastry Chefs of the Czech Republic), we occasionally have the opportunity to hold tastings as part of their preparations for international competitions. Some of these dinners have already hosted over 100 participants. It is impressive to see our national team in action, to taste their competition menu and be its first evaluators. Each year before Christmas, everyone looks forward to a dinner themed around the flavour of truffles. I have them brought in fresh from Italy specifically for this purpose. Most recently, we had an outstanding truffle dinner at the Grand Mark Hotel under the direction of Executive Chef Jaromír Hlavsa last year. On another occasion, at the invitation of the owner – who is also a Rotarian by the way – we visited the Indian cuisine at Curry House. We have held Pakistani, Bulgarian, Slovenian, Vietnamese and Mexican dinners, and are currently preparing a Korean BBQ. We also strive to connect our gastronomic group with other leisure fellowships active within Rotary. We are most successful in this regard with the golfers. Our mainstay in this effort is the ROYAL BEROUN GOLF CLUB, where we have already held a number of tournaments combined with a tasting dinner and, naturally, a contribution to a good cause. Some trips to partner clubs abroad also have an international dimension combined with gastronomic experiences. We have repeatedly enjoyed expeditions to Slovenia to seek out fine dining, truffles and wine, including a visit to the world’s best female chef and holder of three Michelin stars, Ana Roš. In this instance, the synergy lies in supporting young musicians and music students at universities in Prague and Ljubljana.
What public benefit projects were, or are, these tasting dinners associated with?
As is characteristic of Rotarians, we want to share every joy. We fulfil this intention through charity. At every dinner, we manage to raise funds for public benefit projects. Sometimes it is just a portion of the entry fee, yet other times we raise more, for example, by organising an auction. Individually, these are not huge sums, but collectively over the years, it has become a significant amount in the hundreds of thousands, perhaps exceeding a million. Our Praha City Rotary Club also has a long history. Our main long-term projects currently include supporting the Prague Wheelchair Users’ Organisation sports day and the construction of haptic models at popular tourist sites in Prague.
The evenings are hosted by their organiser, Vojta Havránek (left), while the dishes are introduced by their creators during service. On this occasion, at the ROYAL BEROUN GOLF CLUB restaurant,it was Executive Chef Jiří Krejčí (right). Tasting dinners are not only prepared for the male and female members of Rotary clubs but also for their partners, children, or a wider circle of family and professional friends.
