Debeluh, d. o. o.

Baker, sommelier, Head Chef at Debeluh

Jure has loved cooking since childhood and followed in the footsteps of his father, who was a chef, by training to become a baker. The entire family was  steeped in a love of good food and enjoyed exploring the best Slovenian restaurants’ excellent dishes and drinks. However, the family did not own a restaurant until 2002, when Jure commenced the ambitious development of his “baby”, Oštarija Debeluh. This is what Jure has to say about the beginning: “Eighteen years ago, the market was hungry for good restaurants  with a specific focus. There were not many of us at the time, especially in Brežice, where we mostly depended on Zagreb. At first, we only had grilled  dishes on the menu, but our reputation grew and we began getting different  types of guest and more of them as well. Our first breakthrough came with the wine.” 

The first thing to launch Jure out into the world was his training as a  sommelier, which resulted in him being recognized as Slovenia’s best in  2010. This led to him building connections with some of the best wine growers in Posavje, Slovenia and the world. But why should he remain  simply a wine connoisseur, especially given the difficulty of making a living as a sommelier in Slovenia, when he could also venture into the kitchen? Years of training followed in Slovenia and abroad; years of gaining experience, networking, building relationships with local food producers, restaurateurs and wine growers. Above all, these were years of waiting for the right moment to open his very own restaurant, which now employs the entire family. “Mum works in the service, my younger brother is in the kitchen, only dad has now started to retire and only comes to dine,” explains  Jure, who supervises everything and everyone at Debeluh. There are six people working in the kitchen, but Jure is the one who gives instructions and teaches them new things. He also ensures that all the dishes have a soul. “Even when I am not in the kitchen, the plates have to be perfect when  I bring them to the guests. The connection between the kitchen and the service is very important,” emphasizes Jure. 

Beating Italians at making pasta

One of Jure’s greatest professional achievements was gaining membership  of the JRE Association of Young European Restaurateurs. However, he has gone beyond this milestone, receiving the 2019 JRE Best Service award for  his ability to transform a simple meal into a unique culinary experience. In 2015 Jure worked with some of the greatest international chefs at the EXPO 2015 in Milan, following this in 2016 by winning the world pasta- 

making championship held by the Barilla Academy. Only a few months before receiving the Michelin Plate award, he was described as a chef of the  future by Gault & Millau, the second most important restaurant guide in the  world, which also awarded Debeluh four out of five chef’s hats. Likewise, Slovenian reviewers tend to confer the highest possible ratings on Oštarija Debeluh. 

How does Jure comment on all these awards and recognitions? “Everyone has their own rating guidelines. The most important thing for me is that  we have been noticed, that we have become part of the culinary map. Of course, I am proud of these awards but I am even prouder that we had  built the lion’s share of our success before receiving any of them. Our responsibility is to keep improving in the future.” 

From the very beginning, the vision was to create a unique style for Debeluh.  As much as 90% of the dishes on their menu are originals, says Jure: “People do not come to us just because they are hungry. Every dish and  every plate bear our unique signature. People trust us with their precious time, and we appreciate that.” They also pay close attention to the needs and expectations of each guest. “If a family travelling from Serbia to Italy stops at our place for lunch, I know that we should not delay them with a long menu; we should offer them something hearty and refreshing, something to relax them, something I myself would want to eat on a long trip,” explains Jure. 

Gastronomy is a way of life, and life keeps changing faster.

Jure recalls the time when his guests were mostly business owners. “You only had to put a large piece of good meat on the plate, and you’d win them  over,” he says. With the new generations come not only vegetarians and vegans, but also people who pay attention to what and how much they eat,  the origin of the ingredients they are about to eat, healthy combinations and  food that resonates with their bodies or which their bodies will not tolerate.  Jure’s main philosophy and desire is that every guest should leave Debeluh  satisfied. “This is very important to me. Of course, money and profit are also important; the restaurant is our livelihood, but it would not be possible  without love and passion, and without constantly learning and adapting to the guests’ wishes. It means so much to me if a true gourmand comes to Debeluh and tells me all the places in the world where he has eaten, and then he comes to me! I consider this my greatest success,” says Jure. 

According to him, soft business skills form an important part of gastronomy,  because it is hard to define fixed standards for anything. However, he is convinced that the key to writing a success story is an honest and genuine relationship with the guests. “I try to greet every guest and have a chat. A lot depends on their mood,” explains Jure, adding that every good restaurateur has to be at least a partial psychologist. 

When Jure’s mother Metka Glogovšek joins our conversation, Jure immediately points out one of the great competitive advantages of Debeluh:  the restaurant is a family business. “If I have to go away, I do not have to worry since I know that the restaurant is in the hands of someone I trust completely. My right hand is my brother Gašper Tomič, but I can also leave instructions with my mum.” Mother Metka nods and adds that she never imagined that her Jure would become so successful: “I’m very proud. I never  knew he had so much knowledge and such an entrepreneurial spirit. I listen to him and I think I do a good job. Many guests ask about me as soon as they  set foot inside. This really means a lot to me,” she says. 

Founder of a local culinary initiative

Jure always aims for the best, even if it comes at a higher price. Whenever possible, he selects local and homemade ingredients. He uses plates, glasses, and cutlery of the best quality, and has carefully designed the atmosphere and style of the restaurant. The present and the past are  intertwined at every step. Jure also thinks of the wider picture. He is the founder of Okusi Posavja, an event that encourages regional collaboration. “I wanted to use the  connections I made through my work. I connected some winegrowers, food producers and a brewery. I don’t know how far this will go, but I can already say that we did a lot and rose above the average,” explains Jure. He  says they will also publish a book to promote the participants and are even thinking about a film. “It’s important to build a coherent narrative within the  region. When a guest comes to Posavje, everything matters; where will they  sleep, where will they drink coffee and which museum will they visit?” he adds. 

Things will never be the same, habits have changed

Jure’s experience shows that family businesses can cope better with difficult  times, such as the 2008 financial crisis or this spring, when the coronavirus  pandemic closed the doors of Debeluh for 70 days. It is easier to convince family members to persevere through thick and thin. “2020 was a really  unusual year. It was difficult when we had to turn off the lights practically overnight. I was understandably worried, even though the business has been really good in the past few years. We have grown by 10% every year,” says Jure. Last year, they had almost €442,000 of revenue and €37,000 net profit and for the cherry on top, Jure reveals: “When we opened our doors again on 22 May, we broke all our records of the last 10 years! The results increased by a third even when compared to the best year in the last decade.” 

However, despite these excellent results, chef Tomič is convinced that things will never be the same. He says that people have changed their habits. Reservations are different, with many guests writing or calling them prior to their visit and wanting to see the wine and food menus in advance.They also want to know what other services are available. The pandemic has unfortunately interrupted investment into a small hotel next to the  restaurant, which was planned for this year and would have allowed them to offer their guests a more comprehensive package. “I believe that this is still in our future,” concludes Jure Tomič with optimism.