Zahar Vorontsov, a student at the Ivan Vazov Professional High School of Tourism in Sunny Beach, has won a bronze medal in the "Chef" category at PAGUR VARNA 2026, an international festival for young tourism talent. He is in Year 12 ("a" class).
The festival was held at the Golden Sands resort. The jury judged two original dishes by the final-year student, a starter and a main course.
The starter was crispy puff pastry with a parmesan crust, served with blue cheese and mascarpone mousse, figs and almond brittle.
For the main course, Zahar cooked pork tenderloin stuffed with spinach and bacon. He served it with sweet potato, parsnip purée, sautéed asparagus and beetroot, and chose a demi-glace with forest berries as the sauce.
The school says the dishes are a modern take, made with precision, with a mix of different flavours and textures.
His teacher is Kamelia Todorova, who teaches the "Culinary Techniques and Technologies" practical course at the school.