How Chef Sharankov chose Bulgaria's Rhodope Mountain over London, creating a different concept of food and patriotism

published on 10/30/24 7:55 AM

Photo: Petko Sharankov

From the noisy kitchens of London restaurants with Michelin stars to a village hidden in the forests of the Rhodope Mountains, Petko Sharankov's path is full of twists and turns. After living for many years in the British capital where he mastered the intricacies of European cuisine, he decided to return Bulgaria. Here Petko settled with his family in the village of Kosovo in the western part of the Rhodope Mountain in order to impose new standards in Bulgaria's haute cuisine.

But why does a renowned chef with almost 20 years of experience in elite foreign restaurants, a person who has managed the kitchens of globally established chains decide to drop everything and "experiment" in a village with 40 or so permanent residents?

The village of Kosovo where time has stood still

When I went to the UK in 2005-2006, I was driven by the motivation that I wanted to learn from the best. Back then, Britain was at the "tip of the spear" in terms of cuisine. I spent enough time in such kitchens, learned a lot and after 10-15 years, with 2 children, with a family, I reached a point in my career when I wanted to do something of my own. Because when you work in such places, others dictate the rules. You can only give advice, but you are like a cog in a big machine," says Petko Sharankov in an interview with Radio Bulgaria.

Since July this year, Chef Sharankov has been running his own restaurant, where he offers author's cuisine, no less worthy of Michelin stars. He claims that he ended up in Kosovo quite by accident. He found out from a friend that they were looking for a master chef for the tavern in the village:

"Until then, I knew nothing about the village of Kosovo. I had an idea where it was, but I knew it was a little out of the way, and when I first went up there, I saw that the place was magical. I have a deep connection with the Rhodope Mountains, and when I stood on the porch where the tavern is and I looked around at the mountains and hills surrounding me and said to myself "OK, this is a good place!". It didn't even matter if the restaurant would be successful or not. I just liked the place."

For Chef Sharankov, cooking is not just preparing food, but rather a form of art. It is a way to connect with people, tell them stories from the past and offer them a unique experience not only for the palate, but also for the soul.

"I had the privilege of growing up with my grandmothers. And what I chase in food are those old tastes that I grew up with. The things that I woke up to every morning that they fed me with, that I had for dinner at their place and that they cooked for me with love. These are my favourite tastes. I use local products and I rely on old ways of cooking that have been handed down from generation to generation in the area. The meat comes from the nearby livestock farms, the yoghurt too, i.e. from no more than 30 km from Kosovo. So when you take these clean products and combine them with my technological experiences related to the so-called high-end cuisine in Great Britain, the end result is a fusion of classic flavours, but with modern techniques," explains chef Sharankov.

The interest in his culinary incarnations is not long in coming, especially since the tavern is located in one of the most picturesque Rhodope villages. More and more gourmets - Bulgarians and foreigners - are visiting Kosovo not only because of the beautiful stone houses perched on the slopes of the mountain, but also because of the master chef's signature cuisine.

"These people don't just come to consume food and drinks, they want to communicate with me, they are interested in what technologies the dish is prepared with, where the products come from," says chef Sharankov. Thanks to his concept of modern Rhodope cuisine, the village of Kosovo is on its way to becoming yet another destination for gourmet tourism in Bulgaria.