Sweet gastro transfer: Petra Jelenić is the new pastry chef of Bluesun

Transfers are mostly associated with sports, but in a country with an exceptionally exciting culinary scene, the moves of its best chefs are followed just as closely, if not more so.

The latest is that of Petra Jelenić, the most renowned Croatian pastry chef, a master of sweets. After years of creation spent in private business, and as one of the most sought-after consultants in Croatia, she decided to make a career shift and accepted an offer from Bluesun, where she will take on the role of corporate pastry chef and lecturer at the internal Bluesun Academy.

– Bluesun has great ambitions, and considering how much they have achieved and done for the domestic gastro scene, I am convinced that we can create another miracle – the sweet one. I am fascinated by their projects such as Stina wine, their own eco-farm for cattle in Slavonia, and what, so to speak, won me over is their Academy, says Petra Jelenić.

Thus, guests at the 15 hotels of this chain will have the privilege of enjoying her desserts, while students of the Bluesun Academy will have the unique privilege of having her as one of their lecturers.

– Just as much as I love my profession, I also love teaching. I graduated from pastry school, but I seriously started learning when I began working. Through the Academy, I have a direct way to influence the quality of pastry making. I believe this is the most serious task in my career that I cannot wait to undertake, adds the famous pastry chef.

>>>In Bluesun hotels, organic beef and veal are served.

By the way, the Bluesun Academy has already produced several generations of students. Since most of them remain to work within the Bluesun hotel system, the company has decided to sponsor students from vocational schools who are training in the most sought-after professions in Croatia – namely chef, pastry chef, and waiter.

At the Academy, they are taught by award-winning chef Tomislav Kožić as the executive chef of the Bluesun chain, Petra Jelenić – corporate pastry chef, Damir Klisurić – corporate bar manager, Jakov Tironi – head sommelier of Bluesun, and Srećko Sulić and Mladen Bartol – internal trainers for restaurant business.

– I love working with children, and that is also the most challenging and responsible part of the process. A lot has changed since the time I was in school, and that is why I believe they need the Academy. Working with children requires a lot of patience, which we have. They need to be shown how to do something again and again. And explain why something is done. I have never accepted the answer – because I say so. They need to be taught how to do things the old-fashioned way, as they will often need it, but they must also know the latest culinary equipment. Show techniques, explain terms. Explain the chemical process, explain the ingredient, the temperature. 100 times, says the woman whose acquisition at the Bluesun Academy is treated as the “sugar on top.”