Czech Top Chef Zdeněk Pohlreich Receives Honorary Title from Pilsner Urquell

Czech celebrity chef Zdeněk Pohlreich has been awarded the honorary title “Honorary Connoisseur” by Plzeňský Prazdroj. With the award, the brewery honours personalities who have been committed to the culture of Pilsner lager beer and traditional craftsmanship for years.

The brewery Plzeňský Prazdroj has awarded Czech top chef Zdeněk Pohlreich the honorary title “Honorary Connoisseur”. The award is presented each year to personalities who promote the reputation of Pilsner lager beer in the Czech Republic and abroad while representing values such as quality, traditional craftsmanship and respect for the brewing tradition.

“It is a great honour for me to be chosen by people who have been creating the same beer taste for more than 180 years. It is not about making something complicated – what matters is doing it well. Svíčková should taste like Svíčková, and broth has to cook for as long as it needs to cook. That applies forever. It makes no difference whether you stand at the stove or in the brewhouse,” said Pohlreich after receiving the title.

Foto: Plzeňský Prazdroj

The Czech top chef and TV presenter is considered one of the best-known personalities in the Czech gastronomy scene. A wide audience knows him mainly from the television programme Ano, šéfe!. Since 2007, he has also been co-owner of the restaurant Café Imperial in Prague. In Pohlreich’s opinion, traditional Czech cuisine, which he has promoted for years, also includes a classic Pilsner beer.

Václav Berka, emeritus brewmaster of Plzeňský Prazdroj, also praised Pohlreich’s influence on gastronomy. “Over the past twenty years, he has done an enormous amount for Czech gastronomy. Just as he promotes high-quality ingredients, honest work and professionalism in the kitchen, we support the culture of draught beer and the training of tapsters so that millions of people can enjoy perfectly poured beer,” Berka said.

The title “Honorary Connoisseur” has been awarded by Pilsner Urquell since 2007. Previous recipients include Karel Gott, Zdeněk Svěrák, Vladimír Šmicer, Magda Vášáryová and Ondřej Vetchý. The first recipient of the title was director Miloš Forman, who received the award on his 75th birthday. Last year, actress Aňa Geislerová was added to the circle of honorary ambassadors.