Bursa Prepares for Gastronomy Festival

Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey shared detailed information about the festival's program at the launch event held on August 7-8, 2025, attended by numerous press members and columnists, as well as renowned national chefs.

The launch of the International Bursa Gastronomy Festival, which will be organized for the 4th time this year by Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, was held on 7-8 August 2025.

The two-day event, which featured local chefs and masters from Bursa, was also attended by renowned names from the gastronomic world, including Yunus Emre Akkor, Cüneyt Asan, and Rafet İnce. The program, which was followed by Bursa's local press, as well as representatives of national media outlets, columnists, and digital content creators, featured a sampling of the city's signature flavors.

Tastes were experienced throughout the day

The event, which began with breakfast on the morning of August 7th at the Bursa Atatürk Cultural Center Merinos Campus where the festival will be held, continued throughout the day with local flavors of Bursa being tasted at many tasting points.

“Bursa Döner Kebab” at İskender Mavi Dükkanı, “Veruk Juice” at Emir Han, “Turkish Coffee on the Grill” and “Baghdad Date Dessert and Marshal Cake” at Koza Han, “Milk Halva” at Abidin Usta Restaurant, “Bursa Pideli Meatballs” at Yeşil Pideli Köfte, “Bursa Cantık” at Acı Dayı Cantık, “Bursa Knife” at Pirge Bıçak, “Bursa Tahini Pide” and “Bursa Walnut Turkish Delight” at Tarihi Taş Fırın were the frequent destinations and tastes of the participants throughout the day.

Mayor Bozbey : " We will bring the whole city to the stage "

That evening, a launch dinner was held at the Montania Hotel in Mudanya. In his speech, Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey highlighted Bursa's rich gastronomy from past to present. He shared with the guests his excitement for launching a new culinary journey from the past to the future with the 4th International Bursa Gastronomy Festival 2025, embracing the motto "The Route is Being Recreated."

Bozbey, emphasizing that the festival will offer a multilayered experience around four main axes, shared information about the festival's program in his speech, which began with the words, "Our festival, which will take place on the axes of gastro-economy and agriculture, social gastronomy, culture and arts, and gastro-tourism, will bring Bursa to the stage, spreading not only to the city center but also to all districts from Mudanya to Karacabey, from İznik to Orhaneli."

Bozbey emphasized that the festival will host various events that will enhance Bursa's gastronomic brand, increase the visibility of local producers and businesses, and offer visitors a quality culinary experience. He said, “This year, our festival will feature films that demonstrate how gastronomy leaves its mark not only on the palate but also on culture, cinema, and narrative, as well as open-air screenings and talks with directors and producers. Students and academics from five gastronomy schools in Istanbul, Izmir, Antalya, Hatay, and Bursa will conduct fieldwork in villages prior to the festival. The Gezek program, which reflects the lifestyle of Bursa, will also accompany our festival this year. With the "Bursa Flavor Stop" project, which we launched as part of the festival, we have established a committee to evaluate our unique flavors according to specific criteria to preserve the city's culinary heritage. We will also award a "Certificate of Reliability" to businesses that meet these criteria.”

Bozbey, who announced that a Geographically Indicated Products Summit would be held as part of the festival, also announced the release of the Bursa Gastronomy Book in his speech: “The summit will address the promotion of Bursa's geographically indicated products, their commercialization processes, brand value, and their contribution to gastronomy tourism. As part of the 4th International Bursa Gastronomy Festival, we are undertaking another innovation: bringing to life the Bursa Gastronomy Book, a prestigious work where flavor and culture meet. This special project, designed to promote the city's deep-rooted gastronomic culture and document its traditional culinary heritage, will feature recipes unique to Bursa, culinary stories, and local products, along with original content reflecting the city's culinary world.”

At the dinner, Chef Atakan Özen presented his traditionally inspired "Modern Bursa Cuisine" menu. With his exquisite touch, products from Bursa's fertile lands were transformed into special dishes that will be etched in both memory and palate.

Women's labor and peach harvest in rural areas

The Doğancı Women's Village Table was the first stop on the second day. Following the restoration of the building that once served as their primary school, the Doğancı Women's Village Table, a women's collective that has been operating since 2016, offered a village breakfast that delighted both palates and hearts amid Bursa's century-old trees.

The peach harvest held in Armutköy was especially enjoyable for guests from out of town.

This year's festival program includes ;

• Gastro stages of national and international chefs,
• Panels and interviews in collaboration with the Kitchen Friends Association,
• Geographical Indication Products Summit,
• International collaborations with guest chefs from UNESCO cities,
• Workshops to be organized with local women's cooperatives,
• There will be open-air cinema screenings and concerts.

The 4th International Bursa Gastronomy Festival awaits its visitors at Merinos Park on September 26-28, 2025, with its rich program aiming to strengthen the city's gastronomy brand at national and international levels, support local producers, chefs, artisans and artists, and create value by combining art, craft and textile culture with gastronomy.