On 16 October, the Hungarian Catering Trade Association held a ceremony at the Gundel Restaurant to present the 2020, 2021 and 2022 Károly Gundel Awards.
As mentioned earlier we reported, the 2022 Károly Gundel Awards Marcsi Borbás and János Macsinka was awarded on the basis of the expert jury’s decision.
The awards ceremony was held in the ballroom of the Gundel Restaurant on Sunday, and – following a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic – the 2020 awards were presented at this gala dinner Dr László Csizmadia (posthumously) and Attila Molnár, as well as the 2021 fees Gyula Berkes and the The Dudás brothers for them as well.
The host of the gala lunch – in keeping with the venue – Gábor Gundel Takács, professional mentor Lajos Bíró, the sommelier Mihály Fabók was.
The six-course menu for the gala lunch was prepared by the chefs from Gundel Restaurant, Aranykaviár Restaurant, Biarritz Restaurant and Anyukám Mondta Restaurant.
We outline this year’s winner’s professional background based on the tribute paid by the Hungarian Catering Trade Association, the organisation that established the award.
Marcsi Borbás:
In 2000, he was the presenter of the travel magazine programme *Főtér*. In 2002, he joined the team at the newly formed Hír TV, before returning to Magyar Televízió in 2011, where he was given his own programme, *Gasztroangyal*. *Gasztroangyal* proved a huge success: over the course of the programme, 333 episodes were produced, in which the spotlight was on excellent local ingredients, the unique regions of the Carpathian Basin, forgotten recipes, and people who faithfully preserve our traditions. As a result of the programme, there was a significant surge in people visiting the locations featured, and more and more people began seeking out artisanal food products made by local producers.
Since 2018, she has been the editor-in-chief and presenter of the programme *Marcsi Borbás’s Cookbook*, which airs on Duna TV. The series aims to showcase and share the most important recipes of Hungarian cuisine with viewers, whilst also bringing the country’s finest chefs closer to the audience.
In December 2019, he founded the egy.hu online platform, which covers important topics affecting many people, whilst also giving prominence to gastronomy, gardening and tourism. Her online series „Kertem” (My Garden), in which she documents the development of her garden in Őrség, has been a great success. Part of the series is ‘Konyhám’ (My Kitchen), in which she presents imaginative and varied recipes week after week. She has also published several cookery books in recent years.
János Macsinka:
He learnt his trade at Eger’s finest restaurants and, despite his young age, has made his mark as a chef at many outstanding restaurants (Unikornis Restaurant, Talizmán Restaurant). He spent several years abroad, mainly in Italy, where, after more than five years’ work and having risen through the ranks, he returned home as an experienced chef. He put the knowledge he had acquired to good use in revitalising Hungarian regional cuisine. In 1999, the owners of the Imola group persuaded him to return home; it was then that Imola Udvarház opened, and it was soon ranked amongst Hungary’s top 10 restaurants. In 2009, he decided to try his hand at other areas as well, working as a consultant chef for several high-end hotels and restaurants (Bambara Hotel, Shiraz Hotel), whilst also playing a part in revitalising the gastronomy of the Tokaj-Hegyalja region.
In 2014, he set up his own business, Macok Bistro. It was here that he found his own style, around which he later built a regional cuisine. Within a short space of time, it became the best restaurant in Eger, and went on to rank amongst the best provincial restaurants in Hungary. His work has been recognised with numerous accolades from the industry (Gault&Millau, Dining Guide).
He has been involved in training the next generation as a practical instructor for over 20 years; he also acts as an examiner and is the chair of the master’s examination board at the Heves County Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
