Trends from Eastern Europe: Food startups from Poland and Czechia at Grüne Woche

Elisabeth, known as “Ela,” wears a medieval bonnet and knits a small basket with a bone needle. She comes from the island of Wolin in West Pomerania. She practices the ancient craft in a Slavic and Viking village. She demonstrates how sheep's wool was spun and woven in the past.

However, most of the Polish exhibitors' stands are all about food and drink. After all, the slogan is “Poland tastes good.” This is evident from the aroma of fresh bigos, a stew made from stewed sauerkraut. Of course, pierogi are also a must. At the stand of the Greater Poland Voivodeship (Wielkopolska), the popular dumplings are available not only in the classic version with meat, but also with feta and spinach or sweet with white chocolate and semolina or blueberries and quark.

Natalia Jaszczuk has developed a vegan mushroom paste with her company Pieczarkarnia Dawidy, for which she has received an award for female entrepreneurs in Poland. Now she is presenting her products outside her country for the first time and has brought crispy mushroom chips with her in addition to her spread.

The success story of Dobry Orzech, which translates as Good Walnut, began with a productive walnut tree. Founder Maciej Tomczak from Wrocław wondered how he could make good use of the nuts and preserve them. The result was his first nut butter. Now he not only uses local nuts, but also sources pistachios from California, for example. His nut butter is available plain, but also in unusual flavors such as raspberry or cinnamon. It makes a delicious hot drink when mixed with milk, but also tastes great in muesli or on bread.

Healthy snacks made from local ingredients

The young company Puffins sells puffed grapes, pineapple, and beetroot, packaged in colorful bags. It is based in Ostrzeszów and uses a vacuum dryer to process fruit, vegetables, and cheese. The advantage is that the flavor and nutrients are preserved. When powdered, it becomes an ingredient for smoothies or pasta.

The crispy theme continues with an innovation from Czechia. Vladyslava Pasishnyk moved from Ukraine to Prague at the start of the war in her homeland. What immediately struck her was that Czechs like to drink beer and snack on something to go with it – usually potato chips. There must be more to it than that, thought the health-conscious young woman. In her kitchen, she experimented with homemade rye bread that she dried and spices such as garlic. Pražské Topinky bread chips are now available in 14 flavors. The food startup is attending Grüne Woche for the second time this year and is satisfied: its chip alternative is selling like hotcakes.