Yevhen Klopotenko
Yevgeny Viktorovich Klopotenko – is a prominent Ukrainian chef known for his innovative approaches to cooking and passion for Ukrainian cuisine. His career has been full of challenges and achievements, including winning the fifth season of the Ukrainian cooking show MasterChef in 2015. This biography reveals Yevhen’s life story, his education, career, social activities and personal life, as well as his contribution to the development of Ukrainian and world culinary.
Family and childhood
Klopotenko was born on November 23, 1986, in Kyiv, Ukraine. His mother was a school head teacher and his father was an engineer. He grew up with his older sister in a loving family that always supported his interests and hobbies. This allowed him to develop his culinary skills from an early age. In 1991, Yevhen was sent to live with his grandmother, who had moved to England for a few months at the time. This period of his life opened up a new world for him, starting with a huge selection of products in supermarkets and ending with a different food culture.
Education
Yevhen graduated from school No. 130 in Kyiv. After graduation, he became a student of the Faculty of International Relations at the Kyiv University of Tourism, Economics and Law (KUTEL). This education became a solid foundation for his future career in culinary. After graduation, Yevhen was given the opportunity to do an internship at McDonald’s in Germany. He also worked as a fry cook at a Mexican restaurant in the United States.
Early works
After graduation, Yevhen started working in various restaurants in Kyiv. His first steps in professional cooking were full of challenges, but he quickly established himself as a talented and persistent chef. Later, he worked as a waiter and was promoted to administrator at Dmitry Borisov’s restaurant and his company, Dmitry Borisov’s Family of Restaurants.
Participation in culinary competitions
Klopotenko has participated in numerous international and national culinary competitions, where he has repeatedly demonstrated his talents. These competitions helped him gain valuable experience and recognition among his colleagues. At the same time, Yevhen initiated the CookWars show, which featured competitions among amateur chefs.
Breakthrough and popularity
Master Chef
Klopotenko’s career breakthrough came when he won the fifth season of the Ukrainian cooking show MasterChef in 2015. The show gave him the opportunity to showcase his talent to a wider audience and gain popularity. After winning, he became one of the most famous chefs in Ukraine.
Own business
After his success on MasterChef, Yevhen founded his own culinary business. He opened several restaurants that quickly gained popularity due to their unique dishes and high level of service. In addition, Eugene has created culinary schools where he shares his experience with future chefs.
Public activities and projects
Culinary revolution
In 2016, Yevhen Klopotenko initiated a project called Cult Food, which aimed to improve the food system in Ukrainian educational institutions and modernize the professional training of cooks. In 2018, a new recipe book was officially approved, including 110 new dishes for school canteens. Since 2020, this collection has been implemented in nearly 5,000 schools across the country.
In 2020, thanks to active work, the issue of improving nutrition in Ukrainian schools was resolved at the state level. During 2020-2021, significant changes were made to the legislative norms governing student nutrition: a new Sanitary Regulation and the Procedure and Norms of Nutrition in Educational Institutions were adopted, procurement guidelines were developed, funds were allocated for the modernization of canteens, and the HACCP system was implemented. As part of the working group, Yevhen and the Cult Food team developed a balanced and modern four-week menu for school canteens.
On September 1, 2021, all kindergartens and schools in Ukraine switched to new nutrition standards and norms.
In addition, in 2020, Yevhen signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and became an ambassador for vocational education reform. Currently, Yevhen is working on reforming the education of chefs at one of Kyiv’s culinary colleges, which will become a model for other similar educational institutions in the future, and the profession of chef will become prestigious and popular.
Educational programs
Yevhen cooperates with various educational institutions, where he conducts cooking classes and lectures. He has also created cooking courses for children and adults, where he teaches the basics of culinary art.
Social projects
Yevhen is actively involved in charity events and social projects. He organizes culinary events aimed at helping those in need and promoting healthy eating among different segments of the population. One such project is the Culinary School for Children, where Yevhen teaches children the basics of healthy eating and culinary arts. He also organizes charity dinners for the needy, where he prepares meals using products donated by benefactors.
Personal life
Family.
Yevhen Klopotenko rarely talks about his personal life, but it is known that he is married and has two children. He always emphasizes that his family is his main source of inspiration and support.
Interests and hobbies
In addition to cooking, he is passionate about sports and traveling. He loves discovering new cultures and gastronomic traditions, which influences his cooking. He is also a big wine lover and has his own collection of wines from around the world.
Recognition and awards
Awards and honors
Throughout his career, Yevhen Klopotenko has received numerous awards and honors both in Ukraine and abroad. He has been recognized for his culinary achievements and contribution to the development of Ukrainian cuisine. He is the recipient of the Chef of the Year award from the Ukrainian Culinary Association. In April 2021, Yevhen Klopotenko was included in the prestigious international list of 50 Next, which consists of professionals who are shaping the future of gastronomy, according to the international rating of the best restaurants in the world, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. In 2022, Yevhen Klopotenko was recognized as the Food Blogger of the Year by the World Influencers and Bloggers Awards 2022.
Publications and media
Yevhen Klopotenko actively interacts with the media, participates in television shows and has published several cookbooks. His books have gained popularity among gourmets and received positive reviews from critics. In 2019, Yevhen released his debut book: “Seduction by Food. 70 Recipes You’ll Want to Cook”. It includes the author’s best recipes. Yevhen’s special passion is Ukrainian cuisine. He is constantly looking for and modernizing old Ukrainian recipes. Some of the dishes Yevhen has already adapted and tested can be found in his second book, Seduction by Food with Ukrainian Flavor. In October 2021, his third book, Holiday Dishes, was released. It contains 70 author’s recipes for the most important holidays celebrated by Ukrainians. Also in 2021, the book “Borsch and for Borsch” was published.
In March 2019, together with Inna Popereshniuk, he opened the restaurant “One Hundred Years Ago Forward” in Kyiv, which represents a new take on modern Ukrainian cuisine. When creating the restaurant’s concept, Yevhen aimed to show what Ukrainian cuisine could have been like if the Soviet Union had not existed and to dispel stereotypes that Ukrainian food is only borsch and varenyky.
In March 2022, she and Inna opened a new restaurant in Lviv, the Other Bistro. In times of full-scale invasion, this establishment became a kind of social contribution of the chef – it provides food for those who, for various reasons, cannot pay. There were two menus at Other, the main menu and menu #2, which was free.
On October 6, 2020, at Yevhen’s initiative, the Council of Experts on Intangible Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine added Ukrainian borsch to the National List of Elements of Intangible Cultural Heritage. To make this possible, Yevhen had to work for about 1.5 years. He organized several borsch expeditions throughout Ukraine, collecting dozens of family borsch recipes from different regions of the country. In addition, a video was filmed and released in 2020 as a documentary called “Borsch. The Secret Ingredient”. In March 2021, Ukraine submitted a formal application for the recognition of borsch as part of UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage.
On July 1, 2022, during the 5th extraordinary meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, Ukrainian borsch was included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
In April 2021, Klopotenko became part of the prestigious international list of 50 Next, which includes professionals who are shaping the future of gastronomy, according to the international rating The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. In 2022, Yevhen Klopotenko was recognized as the Food Blogger of the Year by the World Influencers and Bloggers Awards 2022.
In March 2023, Yevhen joined the television project Hell’s Flour with Yevhen Klopotenko on STB. In this show, Yevhen shows viewers how to prepare dishes from common and affordable products inspired by our legendary ancestors. In each episode, Yevhen is joined by a celebrity guest. Together they prepare unique Ukrainian dishes and discover the rich world of flavors of Ukrainian cuisine.
Current activities
Modern projects
Yevhen continues to develop his projects and open new restaurants. He actively works on new culinary ideas and improves his dishes. He is also the host of the popular TV show Culinary Dynasty.
Influence on cooking
Yevhen Klopotenko has had a significant impact on the development of modern Ukrainian culinary. His creative approach and innovative dishes have become an example for many young chefs.
Contribution to the culinary industry
Yevhen plans to continue his work in cooking. He plans to open new restaurants, develop his culinary projects and work on new ideas for dishes. Yevhen also plans to continue his work on improving nutrition in Ukrainian educational institutions and reforming the professional education of chefs. He continues to be an active participant in television shows and publish cookbooks. His ambition and professionalism promise new success and recognition in the future. Yevhen Klopotenko continues to be an important figure in Ukrainian culinary, and his influence on the industry will be felt for many years to come.
Thank you for your attention!
Timur Miroshnichenko
