The journey from the Bulgarian town of Kardzhali to preparing food for the British royal family requires hard work, dedication and perseverance. This is the story of Nedko Rusev, also known as Chef Ned. He left his hometown in the Eastern Rhodope Mountains in 1997 to pursue a career. He honed his skills in Bulgaria, Germany and England. He now works in hospital and large-scale event catering.
First steps in Kardzhali
Nedko Rusev studied cookery at the catering vocational school in Kardzhali’s Veselchane neighbourhood. After graduating, he moved to Plovdiv to continue his education. He says his teachers in his hometown gave him a solid foundation, for which he remains grateful.
“I’ve loved cooking since I was little. I used to cook for my family, for my sister — mostly when we were home on our own. And that’s how it all started.”
PHOTO Facebook/ Chef Ned
Rusev later worked in Germany for several years before moving to England to further his career. There, working with chefs of different nationalities introduced him to new cuisines and cooking techniques.
From hospital kitchens to royal receptions
In Britain, Nedko Rusev went into hospital catering. He worked at a leading hospital before joining a team that also catered for larger events. He gradually began cooking for celebrities and prominent figures in British politics and public life.
In his interview with BNR Kardzhali, he names Boris Johnson, Theresa May, boxer Anthony Joshua, actor Anthony Hopkins and former Bulgaria football captain Stiliyan Petrov among those he has cooked for. Since 2023, he says, he has also prepared food for members of the royal family, with his team catering for dozens of receptions a year.
PHOTO Facebook/ Chef Ned
Rusev has also enjoyed success in national culinary competitions. He says his awards include a Chef of the Year title within Britain’s National Health Service in 2025.
Venison on the hospital menu
Nedko Rusev is particularly proud of introducing venison to hospital menus in Britain. It took lengthy negotiations to persuade the partners and organisations involved of its benefits. He says more than 50 hospitals now serve venison, including in moussaka made to a Bulgarian recipe.
“After a year of negotiations, I managed to get venison into hospitals, and now more than 50 hospitals serve it. I use it to make venison moussaka, following a Bulgarian recipe, and it’s an absolute hit.”
Rusev explains that the initiative is also part of efforts to make hospital meals more sustainable and reduce carbon emissions. He participates in a programme that encourages the use of ingredients with a lower environmental impact.
His work goes beyond meat dishes. In the interview, he also describes menus with a lower carbon footprint, in which plant-based and vegan foods feature prominently. Developing these dishes and encouraging people to try them are part of his efforts to improve hospital food.
A taste of Bulgaria in Britain
Nedko Rusev is also keen to introduce people to Bulgarian cuisine, and their appetite for Bulgarian flavours goes well beyond his moussaka.
“They eat Shopska salad like there’s no tomorrow, so you can judge for yourselves whether they love it,” he says.
Rusev takes part in professional gatherings and demonstrations too, where chefs present new products, recipes and approaches to cooking. He believes that a successful dish can inspire other chefs to try it themselves.
PHOTO Personal archive
His main focus, however, remains improving hospital food. He stresses the importance of teamwork and of preparing meals that meet patients’ dietary needs and that they will enjoy eating.
Keeping his ties with home
Although he lives and works in England, Nedko Rusev has kept his ties with Kardzhali in southern Bulgaria. He visits his hometown roughly once a year, meeting up with friends and taking his daughters to places he remembers from his childhood.
PHOTO Facebook/ Chef Ned