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"We were invited here to showcase cuisine that is a little more sustainable," said Tomáš Popp, manager of the AKC ČR National Team of Chefs and Confectioners. The main dish was vegetarian langos with pumpkin purée, bryndza cheese, cream, peas with mint, and tempeh.

The chefs sourced the ingredients directly from local farmers. "We get our vegetables from Domažličky near Klatovy, which is a farm, so we have pumpkin, potatoes, celery, and so on. Everything is local," explained Popp. The second part of the menu consisted of Slovak soup with sour cream and smoked ribs. "When we cook, we try to use every part of the animal from nose to tail, and this is proof of that." According to Popp, the Pilsen region has an advantage over other regions in terms of sustainable cooking. "We have pork, beef, vegetables, dairy products, and goat farms here. Except for sheep's cheese, we have almost everything here. "

David Wisniowski, head chef at Orkla, worked with Popp to prepare the menu. He emphasized that a healthier composition of meals is also part of a sustainable approach: "For example, we wanted to avoid gluten in the soup so that it would be easy to digest."

The event was one of the activities based on the UWB's Sustainable Development Strategy. "Its goal is to show that even when cooking on a large scale, it is possible to use regional ingredients to a certain extent, take the environment into account, and cook vegetarian meals that are also tasty. The main reason for approaching Tomáš Popp was the fact that he has been involved in sustainability issues, such as the organization of farmers' markets, for a long time and that this is not just a passing trend for him," explained Tomáš Pruner from the Department of Lifelong and Distance Learning (CŽV) at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, who is also the coordinator for sustainable development at the university.

The university cafeteria is also committed to sustainability. "We have minimal leftovers, which means that we prepare meals, sell them on the same day, and refrigerate and regenerate the rest. Any meals that are left over are donated to the St. Zdislava Home," said Petr Jícha, director of the Dormitory and Cafeteria Administration. "We are trying to expand the range of vegetarian dishes, with the cafeteria currently offering one vegetarian dish a day and, on selected days, an Indian vegetarian dish. From the winter semester, we will also expand the range of dishes on offer. Thanks to the purchase of new technologies, such as a meat slicer, we will offer hamburgers made from different types of meat. We will also start making homemade potato dumplings," he added.

Cafeteria manager Helena Honomichlová said that students and university employees most often choose schnitzel, sirloin, or pizza, but they also enjoy Thai cuisine. "Sweet dishes such as buns with custard and Bavarian doughnuts are also popular," added Petr Jícha.

You can hear more about how diners enjoyed the cafeteria food in the audio report below.