James Hacon

Managing Director, Think Hospitality

James is a global hospitality leader, specialising in brand, growth and development strategy. As an executive, investor & consultant, he has worked with more than 50 hospitality companies in 9 countries around the world from investment firms to independent Michelin starred outlets to global hotel brands and multi-site restaurant groups. With his partners at THINK Hospitality they have a number of investments in early stage concepts with a bright future. https://www.thinkhospitality.co.uk/

Ryan Chetiyawardana

Aka Mr. Lyan, Founder of Superlyan, Dandelyan and Cub

Mr. Lyan has been involved in several of the World’s best bars for over fifteen years. He helped take the last six of these onto national and international titles and all featured in the Top 50 ‘World’s Best Bars’ list for Drinks International. On 3rd October 2018 one of his venues, Dandelyan within the Mondrian Hotel in London, was chosen the best bar in the world by World 50 Best Bars. Ryan has been named UK bartender of the Year twice and in 2015 was named ‘International Bartender of the Year’. He helps design and judge several notable national and international competitions whilst acting as a mentor to competitors, and helping shape the new wave of competitions. His first, ‘White Lyan’ – the first cocktail bar in the world to feature no perishables – which was awarded ‘Best New International Cocktail Bar’ at the 2014 Spirited Awards, closed to make way for ‘Super Lyan’ in April 2017, and sustainably driven restaurant ‘Cub’ in September 2017 with chef Douglas McMaster. ‘Dandelyan’ launched in October 2014.

Virginia Anne Newton

Director of Media Relations & Special Events, Restaurant Geranium

Originally from the United States of America, Virginia is currently based in Copenhagen, Denmark. While her University degree is in Political Science, her career has included working in both the film and television industries. She lived in Nashville, Tennessee as well as Los Angeles, California before moving to Germany where she left the entertainment world behind and entered the financial sector. For 10 years she worked as the Finance & Contracts Manager for an aeronautical engineering firm based at the German Space Operations Center, just outside of Munich. In the fall of 2015, Virginia followed her passion for food to Copenhagen where she works as Director of Media Relations & Special Events for 3 Michelin-starred Restaurant Geranium.

Carla Capalbo

Journalist

Carla is an award-winning food, wine and travel writer and photographer. She was born in New York, brought up in Paris and London and lived in Italy for many years. Her new book, TASTING GEORGIA, A Food and Wine Journey in the Caucasus, is a cross between a food and wine book and a travel guide, and is illustrated with her photographs. Carla is the author of 14 other food-related books, and has written for many years on chefs, food activists and food and winemaking for numerous magazines and newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic.

Argot Murelius

Executive Editor, 12Forward by White Guide

Argot divides her time between New York City and Los Angeles. She writes about global food and restaurant trends, travel, art, and design for all major Swedish outlets (daily newspapers, glossies and trade press).  She profiles culinary innovators and chefs for White Paper, the magazine tied to White Guide (Scandinavia’s premier restaurant guide). She has also written numerous articles for the international press and frequently provides photographic content to accompany her words. She is a core member of the White Guide group, the executive editor of the groundbreaking restaurant guide/app 12forward, a translator and the project manager for the Global Gastronomy Awards. Long ago she studied to be a sommelier.

Heleri Rande

Freelance F&B Strategist and Consulting Editor, Supper Magazine

Heleri is a freelance F&B strategist, culinary event organiser and a consulting editor for SUPPER Magazine, the international title exploring the projects, personalities and products driving the hotel gastronomy sector. Originally from Estonia, Heleri has lived in seven countries and holds a Bachelor’s Degree from New York University in Economics and Business, as well as an executive MBA in Hospitality Administration from École Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) in Switzerland. She serves as an advisory board member for the Global Restaurant Investment Forum, is one of the founders of the Hyatt Student Prize Alumni and holds a seat on EHL’s United Kingdom Alumni Chapter Committee.

Anya Seeberg Liaaen

Founder & Editor-In-Chief, NORD

Her Nordic food magazine NORD is based in Oslo, Norway, but also distributed to Denmark and Sweden. She is leading a brilliant team of freelance journalists and photographers, to communicate the feel and taste of the Nordic through quality photos and articles. Anya is travelling the Nordic countries to learn and explore, and is often juror in Nordic food competitions as well as seen and heard in the media to enhance the importance of quality and origin. In November she is member of the jury at the World Cheese Awards in Bergen. Anya has been awarded Norwegian «Food Communicator of the year» 2008, and won the Norwegian nomination «Nordic Food Communicator» at the Embla Food Awards 2017-2019.  We are what we eat, our food and drink reveals and describes us, and Anya is working towards finding and describing our true identity by looking backwards to traditions and forwards to realism and green values.

Matias Glusman

Coca-Cola HoReCa (CCHBC) Poland

Matias is in charge of the Coca-Cola HoReCa (CCHBC) business in Poland. He has a wine/spirits educator & water/sake sommelier background. Matias has been a beverage consultant for the mineral water industry and has launched a number of cider & beer projects. In 2016 he created a dedicated program for CCHBC customers in Poland to coach them on how to increase overall beverages’ sales in the HoReCa sector. Now, the program has hundreds of graduates with a well proven success track record. Matias will speak about the capabilities this program offers to spike interest in a similar pilot in the Baltics.

Ragnar Eiriksson

Head Chef, Dill, Reykjavik

Born in Reykjavik, chef Ragnar has gained his experience from various kitchens around Iceland and Denmark such as Grillid, Noma and Premissé (now AOC). Eventually he found his place with an English born chef Paul Cunningham, for whom he worked for almost 6 years, both at his Michelin starred restaurant The Paul, in Copenhagen´s Tivoli gardens and at Henne Kirkeby Kro, an idillic inn on Denmarks west coast. In 2014 Ragnar moved back to Iceland and started working at Dill for chef Gunnar Gislason, whom he replaced as a head chef of Dill in late 2015 when Gislason moved to New York city to head up Agern restaurant on Manhattan. Ragnar aims to follow Gislason´s vision of Dill, emphasizing local ingretients and the obscure eccentric flavors of the north. Now Ragnar is no longer directly involved with Dill and is developing a new restaurant concept to open soon in Reykjavik.

Peeter Pihel

Founder of Kotzebue Bakery and Charcuterie

Having gained experience at Pädaste Manor that was awarded the best restaurant title in Estonia four consecutive years and thereafter in world-renowed Fäviken Magasinet, also the best restaurant in Sweden, Peeter has also led workshops in Milan, Singapore, Paris and Moscow. Taking inspiration from his roots, Peeter considers it a privilege having been born on an island. In his own words: “it’s a way of life, which reflects in my cooking as well. When the resources and produce are scarce, you have to be creative – this is what motivates and makes me create something new and possibly better.”

Artur Kazaritski

Sous Chef, Restaurant Geranium

Artur was born in Vaivara, Estonia, a town of approximately 200 people. His love of cooking came from his father, who was a chef on numerous ferry routes throughout his career. At the age of 15 Artur entered the cooking program at Sillamae Vocational School and upon graduation he worked in London before moving to Italy where he gained his first experience in a Michelin starred kitchen at San Domenico (2 stars) in Imola. He returned to northern Europe in 2013 as chef de partie at Maaemo in Oslo before joining Restaurant Geranium in 2015. He moved to Restaurant Kadeau in 2017 and one year later returned to Geranium as sous chef.

Johannes Schellhorn

Head Sommelier at Nobelhart & Schmutzig, Berlin

Coca-Cola Coketails Bar

Come and join for a wonderful flavour experience! Bartender Heinar Õispuu will share his knowledges about using the best Coca-Cola ingredients and gives You an opportunity to taste the best Coketails in the world.

Belvedere Bar

Belvedere brings the founder of #1 bar in the world, Mr. Lyan, to inspire the event visitors. Possibility to sample recipes that the drinks guru has specifically created for the brand for this occasion.

Food Studio Broth Bar

Estonian Drink Festival

Estonian Drink Festival will bring together alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage makers from all over Estonia and restauranteurs, chefs, sommeliers etc. from HoReCa business. Though, the Fest is open to everybody, the main visitors are professionals. This will be a perfect place for everybody to have an overview, what is going on in our small and craft beer/cider/gin/juice/strong spirits/kombucha etc. market. The participants will present beverages what are produced ONLY in Estonia. The Festival is branding free – no banners, adds etc. are allowed. Let the drinks speak for themselves.

My Home Land and Sea. Estonia by Peeter Pihel

Book Launch

This book is my personal take on Estonia. A sentiment that has grown through experience and events; a story of the plentiful and unique flavours of Estonian cuisine. It’s a book about the mindset of my countrymen and our strong bond with our land and nature.

Piazza d’Oro Coffee Bar

See and taste the latest coffee trends.