Renowned ‘Balkan baker’ from Crawley set to open new pie shop in London after business took off in Lockdown

Spasia Dinkovski, who created Mystic Burek (formerly Mystic Börek), will open her permanent home at 227 Dartmouth Road, Sydenham, on Thursday, September 21.

Spasia, a Balkan-British woman who was born to Macedonian parents in the UK, started her business during Lockdown in 2020, delivering her food with a trolley.

She said: "Although I've always wanted to own my own place since starting in kitchens, the past three years I've really focused on building this brand, doing it all myself and working relentlessly."

She continued: "The Mystic Burek shop is going to be a celebration of all things Second Generation Balkan, a nod to my heritage and our cultural obsession with hospitality and making all that walk through the door feel right at home. After moving around so much for three years, I can't wait to flourish in my own space and take things to the next level with my food."

Visit mysticburek.com.

Spasia's first kitchen job at 17 was working a doner kebab machine in a Turkish restaurant in Crawley. She has now worked in the industry for around two decades, having started her career running a late night sandwich pop up in bars around Brooklyn, New York. After moving to London she worked in restaurants before founding Mystic Burek in 2020, having been inspired by her grandmother's recipe book.

Spasia’s cooking style, which is Second Generation, Diaspora Balkan, became an overnight hit and she soon stopped working from her home kitchen, finding a commercial kitchen and drivers to deliver pies within the M25.

The new pie shop's menu will offer ‘Hot Filo Pies by the Slice’, including: Creamed Spinach, Parmesan, Potato and Kurdish Chilli (£7.50); Taleggio, Sticky Greens and Pickled Peppers (£8); Ras El Hanout Lamb; Charred Onion and Peach Honey (£8); and Mortadella, Soft White Cheese and Salsa Verde (£8). Weekly specials will include Burek Sandwiches and Deep Fried Burek alongside Balkan snacks. There will also be desserts like the Sour Cherry Baklava & Bergamot Cream. Her restaurant offers Balkan drinks, filter coffee and tea as well.

There will be a pre-order collection system where people can order natural wines from the website. Mystic Burek will also deliver whole pies every Friday.