Desislava Staneva: You Can Achieve Anything With Hard Work and Discipline

Desislava Staneva is a graduate of HRC, a pastry chef and cake decorator at the family-owned pastry shop, Mishka Bakery. Inspired by the path that led her to the world of pastry, Desislava shares how her education at the Academy and the experience she gained during her internships abroad provided her not only with valuable skills but also the confidence to develop her own style. And the most interesting part? Her encounter with Mishka Bakery and her love for cake decorating happened almost by chance.

How did you find out about HRC and why did you choose to study Culinary Arts?

The story is quite funny. When I was 17 or 18, I was trying to figure out what to study because I didn’t like any subject in school. One morning while having breakfast, I turned on the TV and there was a show featuring pastry Chef Alex Ivanchev. He was making a dessert and mentioned that he had graduated from the Culinary Academy. I immediately looked up HRC’s website and saw that an Open Doors Day was coming up soon. I told my mom that this was what I wanted to study. We came to Sofia for the Open Doors Day, it was a lot of fun, and that’s how I decided to enroll.

What are your career dreams? What do you hope to achieve?

I see myself as someone who will eventually create something of my own – whether it’s a pastry shop or another type of business. Right now, I’m thinking in that direction and gathering insights. I haven’t made a final decision yet.

But I hope that in five years I’ll have my own successful business.

What can you tell us about your internship in the USA?

I was very satisfied with my internship in America. I was given two options – Georgia or Arizona – and I chose Arizona. I didn’t have many expectations, but the conditions turned out to be very good. I was accommodated in a complex with a gym, pool, and lots of young people – it was fun.

In the last two months of the internship, I worked with higher-level chefs who didn’t treat me just as a worker. One of them saw potential in me and trusted me to start preparing alternative desserts.

What lessons did you take from your two internships abroad?

I learned to think a few steps ahead, to plan further in advance, to organize myself and the workflow, to know what follows what. I saw many techniques, but I also saw that not everything you learn in theory is applied in practice by chefs in different restaurants.

There are many unconventional ideas, and you always have to think outside the box.

That’s something that’s valued – along with creativity and aesthetic sense. I learned that with a lot of discipline and hard work, anything is achievable in this field.

How do you build confidence as a young professional in this industry?

As a woman – it’s a bit difficult, because you often work with men, and in the beginning, they tend to underestimate you. This industry involves a lot of physical labor, you’re on your feet for hours – it’s very hard, especially for a woman.

Confidence is built when you believe in yourself and don’t listen to people who don’t know you.

Tell us how your path led you to Mishka Bakery, where you’ve worked for several years.

After I returned from my internship in the USA, I decided I needed to find a job. I happened to pass by the Academy and met Daniel Nikolov, one of the people behind Mishka Bakery. I shared that I wanted to work in a family-run pastry shop, and he said that he and his wife were just opening one. He offered me to join them, and I agreed, although I was convinced I wouldn’t stay long. Then I met Anna Kuznetsova, the other person behind Mishka Bakery, and we really clicked. We started working together and went through all kinds of experiences – strange and wonderful. Two years later, I’m still here.

What’s the most difficult cake you’ve decorated?

Actually, it’s one I’m about to make. We have a client who wants a 1-kilogram wedding cake that’s entirely hand-painted with a brush. I have to paint the Bosphorus at sunset with a bride from behind. We get all kinds of complex and expensive orders, but I learn from each one and get better.

What advice would you give current students at HRC?

They need to know they’re never alone. Especially at HRC, there’s always someone they can turn to if they have a problem. They can rest assured that there’s always someone backing them up.

I would advise them to enjoy their internships, because they’re not just about work – there are many other things to gain from the experience. For example, meeting people from all over the world – those are contacts you absolutely should keep for the future.

I’d tell them to be a little braver, a bit more assertive, and to stand up for themselves when they know they’re capable. Because if they don’t believe in themselves, no one else will. It’s important to have confidence.