Gulburak, born on November 3, 1995, in the village of Kyzyl-Senir in the Suzak district of the Jalal-Abad region, now lives in Moscow. Her journey into the culinary arts began in childhood under her mother's guidance. In elementary school, she studied in her native village, but after the family moved to the city, she continued her education at city school No. 5. “My mom is a talented person who can do everything. She cooks excellently. Although she is a teacher by profession and her salary was low, we opened a café in the city. My mom became my first mentor in cooking and taught me how to prepare many dishes. When we lived in Bishkek, I helped her manage the café, which contributed to my work ethic,” Gulburak shares.
Now Gulburak is married and raising four children. “We moved to Moscow five years ago. Mostly, I take care of household chores and look after the youngest child while my husband provides for the family. He didn’t want me to work, but I couldn’t stay idle and started my own business, taking orders for cakes and sweets. My clients are mostly from different nationalities. The prices for cakes vary depending on the decoration and ingredients used. The most expensive cake I made cost 33,000 soms,” she shares.
According to Gulburak, there have been some amusing incidents in her practice. For example, one time a regular client ordered a cake for her boyfriend and asked to pick it up late. She agreed, but tired from work, fell asleep before the client arrived. The phone died, and the girl waited for her outside for two hours. “When I woke up and saw the missed calls, the client was very upset. Since then, I stopped accepting orders after 10 PM,” she recalls.
Gulburak also shared some bitter moments from her experience. “At first, it was difficult to find clients. I started with simple tools—a stove and a mixer that my husband bought for 8,000 rubles. Initially, my clients were only neighbors and friends. However, over time, their acquaintances began to order cakes. There were also unpleasant cases: one girl ordered a cake, transferred 1,000 rubles as a deposit, but never paid the rest. I tried to contact her, but eventually forgave the debt when I saw that she was posting vacation photos,” she says.
Some clients even overpay, and this helps her forget about those who deceived her. “Many ask how I manage with four children. They don’t go to kindergarten, and my husband works late into the evening. I try hard and believe that if you work, you can achieve anything. I dream that my hands can not only take but also give help to others,” she adds.
Gulburak plans to open her own pastry shop in Kyrgyzstan. “It’s my dream to launch a pastry shop in my homeland,” she concludes.
