Saffron cosmetics - from the village of Trudovets to the world markets
The family business of Vasil and Desislava Chikovi started in 2015 as a joke with the cultivation of the little known in Bulgaria crop - saffron. The initial idea was to preserve their roots and traditions by cultivating the farmland inherited from Vasil's grandfather in the village of Trudovets, near Botevgrad. They started with little information, a lot of enthusiasm and help from relatives, and today they have already closed the whole production cycle. Already the first harvest is promising. Tests in a French laboratory show that the saffron is of excellent quality and this is an incentive to expand the plantations. So Saff Beauty started to grow.
A few years later they came to the conclusion that instead of exporting the raw material, they could find ways to close the loop through processing that brings higher added value. Desislava Chikova became interested in new developments in cosmetics and her passion to create saffron cosmetic products was awakened. She contacted professionals to support them with the know-how and more information about the technology - lyophilisation, through which they extract the saffron extract. Cosmetologists develop the specific formulas of the products, adding Bulgarian rose oil to the saffron, which has proven to have a good effect on the skin. Thus, they actually combine the two most precious flowers grown in our country. The cosmetic products today are known under the Saff Beauty brand. They are available online, at exhibitions and through social media in Bulgaria and Romania, with an eye on other countries in Europe. They are also very popular in Arab countries and China.
Carpets of “Hemus” - from Kostandovo to all over Europe
The British royal family, the reception at 10 Downing Street in London, Churchill's granddaughter, Queen Beatrix of Holland, the legendary Mick Jagger, Harry Potter, dukes, earls and rich families step on unique Bulgarian carpets. 25 weavers from the Rhodope town of Kostandovo, a small town in the municipality of Rakitovo, have the largest loom in Europe, on which they can weave carpets with an area of up to 140 square meters, and with their incredible craftsmanship they impose Bulgarian quality on the European market.
26 years ago Nino Parpulov established a workshop for the production of hand-woven carpets. After much effort, the small carpet company "Hemus" made its way to the royal court in the UK. The women of the small town of Kostandovo carried out a seemingly impossible task - weaving an 18-metre-long carpet for the summer residence of the British Queen.
Today the carpet workshop in Kostandovo carries out one order for the royal court every year.
At the very beginning, the family workshop employed 280 weavers. Over the years, however, things have changed. "In 25 years, all those who were of retirement age have retired, now I have 25 weavers. We have created a know-how that has already been recognised by experts on a global level, that the organisation that has been created here in Kostandovo allows for the preservation of cultural heritage. World and European cultural heritage in textiles" says Parpulov.
The owner's son, Todor, is involved in the design of the carpets. "The process is quite slow and precise. One mistake of mine can cost absolutely everything. That's why it takes 6 to 8 months to make the design. There are still a lot of orders from England, however, I cannot fulfill them. The reason is the lack of weavers," he explains.
The materials are 100% natural and 100% Bulgarian: fine wool and cotton. No chemicals or bleaching agents are used in the processing. These carpets cannot be found in mass production. We rely on individual one-off designs that are created according to the specifics of the home they will enter.
Pacific oysters in Bulgarian waters
"Oysters - Kranea" is the first and only oyster farm in Bulgaria. The farm is located near the coast of the village of Kranevo, 23 km north of Varna. The location was chosen after many years of testing because of the extremely favorable conditions it offers - high water flow, active bioenvironment and saturation of the water with beneficial microflora. The owners, Peter and Kosta Petrov, decided to cultivate oysters of the species Crassostrea Gigas (Pacific oyster). These oysters have long been a staple of seafood farms in Europe and Asia because of their kernel weight, disease resistance and, last but not least, their excellent culinary qualities. Spat for the farm (miniature oysters) is imported from established hatcheries in the famous Brittany and Vendée regions of France. Imported here, under certain care and conditions they successfully develop and grow in the Black Sea.
Shiitake mushrooms from Karlovo
The first organic farm for the production of Shiitake mushrooms grown on oak logs, using original Japanese technology, was launched in the early spring of 2014 in Karlovo.
Producing year-round, the BioWay farm ensures that fresh shiitake mushrooms are always on the Bulgarian table in every season. A lot of hard work and desire goes into the process, which is why the result is excellent produce with the staple exotic taste.
Mushrooms grown on oak logs are an organic product as they grow in their natural food environment. Grown on oak, shiitake mushrooms cannot be mistaken - they are fleshy and have a dense texture. The advantages of shiitake mushrooms grown on oak are not only their external characteristics, but also their taste and, above all, their content of valuable substances, which is many times higher than that of 'synthetic stump' mushrooms.
"Aroma - tradition with a future
There is no Bulgarian who has not used products with the brand "Aroma", but probably few people know that this is the oldest cosmetic line in our country. The brand was launched in 1924 by the chemist Ivan Skrinski. However, the brand really blossomed in the second half of the 20th century.
In 1966, the first universal cream "Aroma" was launched, and a little later appeared cream "Zdrave", cream "Medico Ideal" and other well-known to the Bulgarian consumer products. Up to now, the "Zdrave" series is among the best-selling in the country - every minute three creams of this brand are sold.
"Aroma produces cosmetic products for leading European and international brands, and the company's production is 440 million items per year.
