Mojmir

Mojmir Šiftar is a chef who loves to create, both in and out of the kitchen. In his dishes, such as his favourite turbot with cracklings, he combines flavours that at first sight might not blend well. He discovered his passion for incorporating teas into his cooking when he started thinking outside of the box. However, Šiftar is not only a master of the kitchen knife, he is also a writer. He unleashed his creativity on paper and wrote a cookbook called “44 odtenkov čaja” (44 Shades of Tea).

His first mentor was Slovenian culinary legend Janez Bratovž, owner of JB Restaurant. After graduating from the Biotechnical Education Centre, he worked at Shambala, an Asian fusion restaurant in Ljubljana, and at the Aleksander Hotel restaurant in Rogaška Slatina. Before joining the legendary Pen Club Restaurant in Ljubljana, he worked as a chef at the Tomi Restaurant in Portorož, the Skipass Hotel Restaurant in Kranjska Gora and the Evergreen Restaurant.

He loves his native Prekmurje, which shaped him into the person he is today. The Prekmurje layer cake (Prekmurska gibanica) and the moments when his mother used to make it hold a very special place in his heart. He recalls having the most fun when he helped his mother spread the fillings and ate the leftovers.

Šiftar finds it essential to be dedicated and persevering at work, in the kitchen and in life. Hard work is the only key to achieving outstanding results, so he strives to go above and beyond and be the best at what he does.

Chef Šiftar has a fine collection of awards, from winning first place for Slovenia at the World Hemp Congress to two bronze medals at the 2012 Culinary Olympics in Germany, a gold medal at the 2013 International Culinary Cup in Montenegro and a silver medal a year later in Luxembourg. From 2012 to 2014, he held the coveted title of Young Chef Ambassador of the World Association of Chefs’ Societies.

Over the years, he has also been awarded several prominent places in the S. Pellegrino Young Chef Competition, and in 2019 he was awarded the title of Young Talent in the Gault&Millau Culinary Guide. Under his leadership, the Slovenian junior national culinary team won several international awards between 2011 and 2015.