In its 25th edition, the Tiradentes (MG) Culture and Gastronomy Festival hosted the inauguration of a hub innovation to stimulate entrepreneurship. It is a space that contributes to fostering new businesses in gastronomy and tourism, providing a connection between different actors. In the midst of the program, which began on the 19th of this month and ends today (28th), startupscompanies and investors were able to get to know some projects and professionals found training and qualification opportunities.
The initiative, called hub.S, was promoted by the National Service for Commercial Learning (Senac), a private entity for public purposes financed with resources of compulsory contribution from commercial companies. The entire program was free and included different activities such as innovative gastronomic experiences and workshops with varied themes such as wine, coffee and traditional sweets.
According to the coordinator of hub, Chaira Araujo, in addition to the opening program included in the Tiradentes Culture and Gastronomy Festival, there are already activities planned for the coming months. “People will be able to participate in marathons for the development of innovative solutions for gastronomy and tourism. The challenges addressed can be from the local community, from the mining or national ecosystem, or from partner companies”, he told the Brazil Agency.
Chaira says that this is an unprecedented space in Minas Gerais for research and gastronomic experimentation. Also according to the coordinator, the initiative will encourage the development of startups and entrepreneurs. For the next year, the opening of the brewing school is planned, with a mini-factory structured in Tiradentes. “The hub.S offers a training path with the support of mentors and networking which contributes to making important decisions for the future of the enterprise”, he adds.
The Tiradentes Culture and Gastronomy Festival, one of the main events of this type in the country, is organized by Fartura Brasil, a gastronomic content platform that travels through Brazilian cities with a calendar of varied activities that seeks to value local traditions. This edition, which marks 25 years of history, addresses the theme of “Inconfidência Mineira”, a movement in opposition to Portuguese rule that erupted in Minas Gerais at the end of the 18th century. A space was organized to present the food customs of that time.
Among the most prestigious attractions of the event is the Mercearia Fartura, where local producers exhibit and sell their products. In the restaurants in the historic center of the city, there are Festins, menus created exclusively for the festival by host chefs from Tiradentes and by national and international chefs invited by the organization. There is also the Talento em Casa contest, which rewards residents of the region. The program also includes artistic presentations and exhibitions, courses, workshops and the Fartura de Amor, a social action that involves the distribution of meals made by different chefs to the needy population, in addition to the collection of food and financial resources for charities.
According to Fartura Brasil, considering all previous editions, the festival has already received about 860 thousand people. The number does not take into account virtual participants. In 2020, due to the covid-19 pandemic, all programming was online. In 2021, a hybrid model was organized. In this year’s edition, it was also possible to follow some attractions on the internet.
