A journey through gastronomic festivals at the National Centre RUSSIA: III Pollock Festival "O!Mega Taste" in Vladivostok

On May 16, the National Centre RUSSIA will host a presentation of the gastronomic festival of pollock "O!Mega Taste," which will be held for the third time. The project was born and developed in the Primorye region. The Russian Federation is the world's largest harvester of pollock, which is one of the most important commercial resources of our country. The main idea of the festival is to integrate pollock into all segments of the Russian food and hospitality industry and to bring this valuable white fish back into the dietary culture of Russians of all ages. The annual pollock festival is supported by the Government of the Primorye Region. The festival is organised by the Tourist Information Centre of the Primorye Region (Visit Primorye), the Russian Fishery Company (RFC), and the federal project "Gastronomic Map of Russia."

The growth in pollock consumption is the result of joint efforts by business and government to promote pollock, including through the annual gastronomic festival "O!Mega Taste." The Russian Fishery Company is one of the leaders in pollock harvesting. In 2024, shipments to the domestic market increased by 50% in tonnes compared to 2023, including deep-processed pollock fillet products of both sea-frozen and shore-frozen types. In addition, RFC increased supplies of pollock-based surimi to domestic crab stick producers by 48%. Thanks to deep-processed products, the number of pollock-based dishes and the interest in them — both in the restaurant segment and in retail — have multiplied over the past two years.

The festival has traditionally been held in various formats: in restaurants, on the streets, and in major retail chains. From May 19 to June 1, leading restaurants in Vladivostok will offer a special menu featuring pollock dishes, and from May 30 to June 1, the city part of the festival will take place on the renovated Sportivnaya Embankment. Guests of the public celebration will be able to attend culinary masterclasses on pollock preparation, lectures, and musical performances, and on June 1, special gastronomic events for children will be held. During the festival, major retail chains will offer special promotions on pollock products, and guests of the street festival in Vladivostok will enjoy special prices.

The strategic partner of the festival is the Pollock Catchers Association, which is implementing the country's first programme to promote a category-based "fish" brand — "Far Eastern Pollock." The 2025 festival will also be supported by: Roskachestvo, as part of the promotion of fish products and support for the "Russian Fish" project, the Fish Union, FSA (Fishery Shipowners Association), and ACORT.

The presentation programme of the III Gastronomic Pollock Festival "O!Mega Taste" will include culinary masterclasses on the preparation and tasting of pollock dishes featured in the Gastronomic Rows menu of the National Centre RUSSIA. The host of the gastronomic event is Yekaterina Shapovalova, curator of the project "Journey Across Russia. Food" of the National Centre RUSSIA. The festival presentation will also feature: Vitaly Stanislavchuk, Deputy Director of the Tourist Information Centre of the Primorye Region; Alexei Merkulov, Communications Director of the Russian Fishery Company; Olga Shanayeva, Deputy Head of Roskachestvo; Alexei Buglak, President of the Pollock Catchers Association; Alexander Panin, Chairman of the Fish Union; Yelena Cho, Director for Government Relations at the Association of Retail Companies (ACORT); and Alexandra Sukhareva, Category Director of the Ultrafresh Division at the Perekrestok retail chain Oleg Ryabov.