Chapter 14 Transylvania Fest, An itinerant food and culture festival

Abstract

Established in London in 1979 by Ion and Elizabeth Ratiu, the Ratiu Family Charitable Foundation initiates and supports educational and cultural projects across Transylvania. Ion Ratiu (1917 – 2000), the elected leader of the World Union of Free Romanians, was a journalist, broadcaster and author, as well as a successful businessman in shipping and property. After studying law and joining the army, he entered Romania’s Foreign Service, and his first posting was to London. He obtained political asylum in the UK after Romania’s alignment with the Axis powers – those who fought with Germany against the Allied Forces. After the communist regime came to power in 1947, Ratiu remained in exile in London, from where he became the most consistent voice of opposition to Nicolae Ceausescu. In 1990, after 50 years in the UK, he returned his homeland to contest the presidency. Despite widespread disappointment at his failure to secure power, there is no doubting his impact on political and cultural life in Romania. Transylvania Fest builds on Ion Ratiu’s legacy. Its aims are to empower Romanian citizens to shape a strong future, while also stimulating pride in their unique cultural heritage. By focusing on the traditional foods of Transylvania, albeit adapted for a contemporary audience, it promotes economic development that is inclusive and community-oriented, that respects the natural environment, and that is sustainable. Initially conceived as a means of attracting tourists to a region of Romania that still has relatively few visitors, it has grown to become the country’s most prominent food festival that now receives international press coverage and that enjoys the patronage of Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Margarita and of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.