Irina Janakievska in a red shirt

Irina Janakievska

Irina Janakievska is a Macedonian-British writer and recipe developer. She was born in Skopje, in what is now North Macedonia, grew up in Kuwait and now lives and works in London. Irina left a successful career in corporate and finance law to follow her passion for sharing her love of Balkan cuisine, the Balkans and its people with the world. She completed the Essential Cooking Certificate at Leiths and has also contributed to a range of media. The Balkan Kitchen was shortlisted for the Jane Grigson Trust Award in 2023 and is her debut cookbook. Irina lives in London with her husband and young son, cooking, researching and writing about Balkan history, food culture and culinary traditions.