Success for HRC at the International “PAGUR” 2025 Competition in Varna

A Culinary Festival That Brings Together Young Talents

From October 1 to 5, 2025, the International Competition for Young Talents in Tourism “PAGUR” took place in Golden Sands, Varna – an inspiring event that united young chefs, pastry chefs, bartenders, and servers in a true celebration of gastronomy and hospitality.

Organized by the Bulgarian Association for Culinary Culture, the event aims to encourage young professionals by building a bridge between education and the professional culinary world.

Outstanding Performance by HRC Students

HRC Culinary Academy was proudly represented by Veronika Georgieva and Iren Lazarova, who took part in the “Young Chef” and “Young Pastry Chef” categories respectively – both earning places on the winners’ podium.
Veronika won first place, while Iren took second, remarkable achievements that reflect the high level of training and the passion for culinary arts shared by HRC students.

In the “Young Chef” category, participants were challenged to prepare an appetizer featuring Jerusalem artichoke, white chocolate, and hazelnuts, as well as a main course with duck magret, sage, and parsnip.

In the “Young Pastry Chef” category, contestants had to create a dessert combining pumpkin, mascarpone, rum, and orange.

HRC Awards €4,000 in Scholarships

Representing HRC in the international jury was Chef Yovelina Minkova, who had the honor of presenting two scholarships of €2,000 each, granted by HRC Culinary Academy as an investment in the next generation of culinary professionals.

The scholarships were awarded to Desislava Antova and Denislav Panchov from the Sofia Vocational High School of Tourism, who impressed the jury with their outstanding performance and dedication.

Special thanks go to Mr. Petar Yorgov and the Bulgarian Association for Culinary Culture for organizing this inspiring event, which once again proved that the future of Bulgarian gastronomy is bright.