Silvena Rowe was born and raised in the ancient city of Plovdiv, just 500 kilometres from the Ottoman capital of Constantinople. Her Turkish father instilled in her a love of cooking, and he passed down, as generations had before him, the traditions of the Ottoman cuisine. Silvena's familial and professional backgrounds place her in a unique position to share with others the best of the Eastern Mediterranean kitchen.
Silvena is the executive chef at the Baltic Group restaurants, which includes the London restaurants Baltic, Chez Kristoff and Wodka. She regularly appears on Saturday Kitchen (BBC1) where she is among the highest-profile female chefs. In the past she has appeared on ITV's Saturday Cook and Great Food Live (UKTV Food Network) where she cooked on an almost weekly basis. Most recently Silvena was the judge on the BBC's Young Chef of the Year.
Her diverse experience in the food world ranges from working in conjunction with major brands such as Waitrose's Delicatezze, to writing for the Guardian, and to working on David Cronenberg's film, Eastern Promises. Silvena's first book, Feasts, won a prestigious Glendfiddich Food and Drink award.