It does not matter where you started your life’s journey, what matters is where you will end it! These words were the inspiration for Serb Nemanja Stošić (31), a chef who this year received the famous Michelin award for his gastronomic specialties.
And only a year and a half ago, Nemanja set out from the small Serbian town of Trgovište, the poorest municipality in the very south of Serbia, to conquer Europe with his cooking.
-I came from a hospitality family; my grandmother, grandfather, and parents have been running a restaurant in my Trgovište for more than 50 years. From a young age, I studied and worked hard, intending to continue the family tradition. However, I could not realize my dreams in Serbia, and the reason is politics – he begins his story for Serbian Times.
COOKING SINCE CHILDHOOD: Nemanja Stošić comes from a hospitality and culinary family
He further states that due to blackmail and pressure from the local SNS authorities, he decided to leave the country and leave behind his wife and two small children:
-I worked in the Ministry of Finance for 2 years, on a contract, and in order for them to extend it, I had to collect 60 secure voters for every election and was blackmailed by the director and the municipal president that I had to go to every rally. Otherwise, they said they would not extend my contract. Of course I refused, so I was fired and thus my family and I were left without a piece of bread. Out of 10 family members, I was the only one employed and I had to take action urgently. I was forced to leave my birthplace and head into the unknown, points out Nemanja Stošić.
He decided to seek his fortune in Europe, and the first stop on that journey was Slovenia!
But even there, not everything went easily…
-First, I worked for 4 months for a private owner, where I went through hell, blackmail, worked for 300 hours a month for a salary of 700 euros. Later, I applied at Perla in Nova Gorica, on the border with Slovenia, in one of the best hotels and restaurants in this part of Europe regarding entertainment, but also cuisine. I was first on a trial period, they quickly accepted me permanently and gave me a chance to show what I know, says Nemanja.
He made the most of the opportunity provided, so in the end, the deserved reward arrived.
-After less than 14 months of work, the main chef of the entire hotel promoted me to head chef of the restaurant Calypso, the most exclusive of the three we have in the hotel, where I finally won the “Michelin Plate” recognition, awarded by their critics who visited the restaurant without us even knowing it, Nemanja says proudly.
Asked what his plans are, he emphasizes:
-The chef’s job is order, work, and discipline, plus constant work on oneself and learning. I plan to gather my family around me and continue living here, where people value and respect me.
He finally adds that he hopes his case will be an inspiration to other young people:
-I want the people in Serbia, especially in the poor regions in the south, to see and know that everything is possible if you are hardworking and persistent. Do not agree to blackmail and live like slaves, be brave, hold your head up and move on, everything depends on you, says chef Nemanja Stošić, holder of the esteemed Michelin recognition, at the end of the conversation!
MOST IMPORTANT GOAL – REUNITING THE FAMILY: Nemanja left his wife and two children at home
MORE TOPICS:
Author: Antonije Kovačević Photo: Privatna arhiva