Kazmin PavelCommunity profile

I was born in Voronezh, but when I was 8 years old, my family moved to Moscow. Due to a series of fortunate circumstances, I spent every summer in the suburbs of Paris. That's where my love for gastronomy began; France had a profound impact on me and instilled a taste for good food. I was quite independent from a young age and enjoyed cooking myself. I always tried to surprise my mother with "new recipes," and once I almost burned down the entire apartment (my first attempt at making potato pancakes). I learned recipes from books, watched cooking shows, and observed my grandmother, who helped us around the house in France. And my French grandmother knew a thing or two about good food. Now, I regret not spending more time with her.

After a long period working in sales, where I only received a good salary and nothing else, I decided to quit everything and try my hand at being a chef. I wanted to turn my childhood dreams into reality. I was very lucky; I immediately found a good mentor – Glen Ballis, who taught me a great deal. It all started at the restaurant Honest, where for the first two weeks, I happily chopped bread and sorted herbs. My cooking career should have ended there, because it was emotionally very challenging. And the financial aspect was also quite unappealing, but I pulled myself together and moved on. Over the next 6 years, in addition to Honest, I worked at Moments and Cork in various positions. It was always fascinating, but also very difficult, yet it never stopped me from thinking that I should open my own project in Moscow. That's how Tilda came to be. Today, I am the head chef and co-owner of Tilda, and I occasionally consult for other establishments that resonate with me. My next goal is to return to the place where my love for food began and open a small restaurant there. I want to grow my own herbs, bake bread, and collaborate with local winemakers.