Spasia Pandora Dinkovski to open new Sydenham venue
Located at 172 Dartmouth Road, it is described as by Dinkovski as a ‘kafana’ - a type of local tavern common in former Yugoslav countries that often serve alcoholic drinks, coffee, and snacks.
Writing on Instagram, she says: “What’s next for Mystic Burek? 172 Dartmouth Road ‘KAFANA’ not a restaurant or a shop but a new home, a base, a venue. Expect all of the above and so much more.”
Each month she will post a schedule of the events that will be hosted at the venue as well as what food will be served, which is likely to include home made cheeses, sausages, kebabs, and bakery items.
Dinkovski originally got the keys to the site back in April but says that issues with the previous tenant has meant that she is only now able to have access to it. It will undergo a renovation next month with plans to open it in December.
Last month Dinkovski announced that she would be closing Mystic Burek, which takes its name from a Macedonian filo pie that typically contains ground meat and cheese, saying that she never wanted a shop but rather “a base that didn’t come with the price tag of a commercial kitchen”.
Located at 227 Darmouth Road, the Mystic Burek site will continue to host events until it can be sold, “so expect some fun events and heaps of Balkan food,” she says, adding that she will also “be throwing some supper clubs around London and even further afield” and is still available for outside catering.
Dinkovski added that she would be giving herself a short break from the business. “After four years of pumping out thousands of pies, it’s needed and there’s so much more that I do,” she says.
“Owning a small business is one of the hardest things you can commit yourself to in this society. The great expectations that are layed (sic) out for us are built to feed the fat cats at the top and we run ourselves to the ground just to line the pockets of the masses of middle-men that surround us, making us feel like we’d be nothing without them.
“It’s pretty empowering and truly independent to strip things back and realise you don’t want growth in the capitalist sense but growth as a person, as a concept, & I’m taking this step so I can look after myself, stick to my values, cook all the things I want to (so much grilling is going down in that garden) FEEEEED and build on my Balkan-British community, you’re all invited to the party.”
