In mid-May MasterCard premium cardholders took part of a special culinary experience organized more than 200 meters underground with internationally recognized chef Ana Ros. The event took place in the authentic coal mine environment in the coal mining museum of Slovenia in Velenje. Traditional Slovenian dishes with a touch of modern cuisine, the exceptional environment of the museum and the unique performance of the ethnic group Katalena made together an unforgettable evening.
The event combined in a smooth way notions of tradition with a modern touch, be it in the gastronomic specialties prepared by master chef Ana Ros, in the etno rock performance of bend Katalena but most of all with the unusual venue of the evening – the underground part of the Coalmine museum that was turned overnight in an exclusive dinner area.
Aleš Petejan, client service director at agency Mayer McCann that developed the concept and organized the event said: “When thinking about the event for MasterCard top clients we had one clear goal in mind – organize something truly priceless that you not able to experience every day, the kind of experience that you would like to share with your grandchildren one day”. And added: “Consumers today have seen it all, so if we want to make something truly remarkable it is important not only to engage them but to challenge them as well and that is exactly what we did.”
The master chef Ana Ros prepared a special selection of dishes, uniquely combining traditional local dishes with a touch of avant-garde cuisine. For this occasion chefs were preparing food on the surface of the coal mine museum and transported it to the underground in special thermal boxes with mine lifts. “The biggest challenge of the evening was certainly how to maintain the optimum temperature of the served food. Due to security measurement we were not allowed to bring in the coal mine flames or flammable substances so we had to prepare food on the surface, deliver it to the mine in special thermal boxes with hot water and then served in on heated plates, that were truly the only source of heat in the coal mine, “added chef master of the evening.
Slovenian Ana Ros is one of the best female chefs on this part of the world who expresses her land and the season trough her very personal interpretation of the tradition and of the ingredient.
