Rostislav NovozhilovCommunity profile

He was born in the small town of Kargopol in the Arkhangelsk region. His childhood was spent in the atmosphere of the 1990s: a village, the street, a lot of time outdoors, and a simple, straightforward life. At the same time, the family was always very close-knit. He spent most of his time with his grandmother – he practically lived with her. The family often gathered around a large table for holidays, with plenty of food, conversations, and a sense of closeness. He had a cousin who was always around – they grew up together and were almost like siblings. Later, younger sisters came along, and he spent a lot of time with them, helping and looking after them. Today, despite the fact that the family lives in different cities, they remain very close, stay in touch regularly, and try to get together often. His earliest memories of food are very simple and home-style: a fresh loaf of bread with butter, which he wanted to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; summer berries from the bush with milk, which tasted like the best milkshake; and his mother's pasta with canned meat. As a child, he often said he would become a chef, but later this desire took a back seat. After the 9th grade, he decided not to continue his studies at school and planned to enroll in a vocational school, while also wanting to complete the 10th and 11th grades. At that time, this could be done through a culinary program, which is how he ended up in that profession. He received his culinary education at vocational school No. 42 in his hometown. He was greatly influenced by his class teacher and his aunt. In his fourth year, he wanted to drop out of school and go to work: he was already combining studies with work, but not in his field. He considered taking a leave of absence and joining the army, realizing that he probably wouldn't return to his studies after that. His class teacher supported him and didn't let him make a hasty decision. His aunt promised: if he finished his studies and got his driver's license, she would buy him a car. In the end, he finished his studies and got his degree. His culinary career began in 2014 in Yaroslavl. Before that, he worked in the banking sector, but during the crisis, he realized that it was practically impossible to meet targets, and he decided to try his hand at his profession. Initially, he saw this as a temporary stage – for a couple of months, until he found something else. But he quickly became passionate about working in the kitchen. His first project was Meet Me – a Greek cuisine concept. After a three-day internship, he was put in charge of a shift at a small outlet with a small turnover. Over a few months, he got the kitchen in order: he cleaned the premises, established cleanliness, and introduced labeling for the products. This was noticed by the investor and the head chef, and he was promoted to senior chef, and he began training interns. In 2015, the team sold the franchise to Moscow, and he was sent to open the project and train the staff. He worked there for about a month, but at that time, Moscow seemed too big and unfamiliar: even Yaroslavl seemed like a metropolis to a person from the countryside. After that, the team in Yaroslavl decided to open an Italian restaurant with Neapolitan pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven. He started going to Moscow for master classes on making pizza – that's how the Rocky Pizza pizzeria was born. About a year later, the investor offered him to go to Moscow and help launch a new restaurant: to assemble a team and train them. The project was called Rustic. Over a few months, he realized that he didn't want to go back to Yaroslavl – so, the move to Moscow was a turning point in his professional life. The city offered more opportunities, professional connections, access to new products, and a different level of work. Later, the restaurant was closed, and the team decided to develop the format in food courts in shopping centers. While the construction was underway at the "Aviapark" shopping center, he took a course in Italy on making Roman and Neapolitan pizza. After returning to Moscow, he worked in several restaurants, including BRO&N by Arkady Novikov on Patriarch's Ponds, where he gained experience in Italian, meat, and American cuisine. From 2018 to 2023, he worked as a chef and was involved in the development of the Rustic pizza chain, specializing in Neapolitan and Roman pizza. In 2023, he joined the Zdrastye coffee chain. He is most passionate about Italian cuisine. He considers lasagna to be his signature dish – this is due to his extensive experience working with Italian cuisine. At the same time, he likes to experiment and come up with different, sometimes unexpected combinations, not limiting himself to the classic recipe. He is inspired to create new dishes by his family, his team, the changing seasons, and new products. Travel, restaurants, professional exhibitions, and constantly observing what is happening in the industry also play an important role. Outside of the kitchen, he enjoys the sauna – this hobby dates back to his childhood. He also collects figurines and enjoys building Lego.