Yurii Pryiemskyi

 Yurii Nikitiuk is a chef who draws his inspiration from a wide range of cuisines – from classical French to Scandinavian.

Like so many before him, choosing a career in food was as result of not doing well at school and being an enthusiastic home cook. Advised by his mother, he reluctantly enrolled in a culinary arts programme which he disliked. But all of that changed when he finally got to work in a kitchen and fell in love with it because of “ the emotions, food, people, movement, and smells.”

Initially self-taught and building his success by creating inspiring street food, the counterparts he admires are among the who’s who of culinary greats.

“These are Magnus Nilsson, Rasmus Kofoed, Heston Blumenthal, Ferran Adria.

They revolutionised world cuisine, they influenced Ukrainian cuisine, they weren’t afraid to go against the grain,” he said.

He has however also found inspiration closer to home.

“My close friend is Mirali, head chef at Mirali Restaurant at The Bakehouse in Kyiv, I think he has a great influence on Ukrainian culture,” said Yurii.

The chef also recognised that to run a successful restaurant operation, it’s about much more than just the food.

This is why he’s constantly picking up tips and researching entrepreneurship,

business procedures, marketing strategies and customer service – all hugely important to anyone whose end goal is to own a sizeable restaurant empire.

Not surprisingly profitability is also high on the agenda, as well as producing the kind of food which will have guests returning time and time again.

His favourite ingredients are in fact humble ones – butter, onions and ground black pepper.

He is positive about Ukraine’s place in the culinary world going forward and believes that “Ukrainian cuisine is generally delectable.” “This, together with the country’s brilliant and

aspirational chefs, will help Ukrainian cuisine grow in recognition and around the world.”