Chef trained in London promises to gift Šiauliai a 'Michelin'

Chef Algirdas Matačiūnas, whose culinary journey has taken him from Kaunas to London and back, is now aiming to bring a Michelin-level experience to Šiauliai. His path began in Kaunas, where he studied pastry technology, but he soon realized the stark difference between industrial production and the dynamic environment of a restaurant kitchen.

"Industrial pastry and a restaurant kitchen are two different worlds," Matačiūnas explained. "Everything differs: the process, the pace, and the attitude toward the result. The only common thing is that it's edible." Feeling that industrial pastry wasn't for him, he drifted away from food until a move to London sparked a culinary awakening. There, he immersed himself in hotel and restaurant kitchens, describing the experience as one of "discipline, speed, and the constant demand to be better than yesterday."

His time in London was significantly shaped by working with experienced, Michelin-recognized chefs and studying at Westminster Kingsway College. He recalled initial struggles with English, humorously describing his early lessons as sounding like "cats meowing." However, interacting with diverse classmates eventually broke down the language barrier. Matačiūnas credits his rapid career growth to the "old school," Michelin-level chefs he trained under, despite their demanding nature. He admitted to a strategy of learning quickly from one chef and then moving to another, a practice he now sees reflected in younger chefs leaving him.

Returning to Lithuania in 2016, Matačiūnas initially led a kitchen in Kaunas before embarking on culinary projects across the country. His path eventually led him to Šiauliai, where he opened a gastro pub. It was in Šiauliai that he met his future wife, deciding to stay and contribute to the city's burgeoning food scene. He has since been involved in several gastronomic ventures, now focused on establishing a permanent culinary presence in Šiauliai.