Refika Birgül

As of December 2022, Refika’s youtube channel has reached over 2.3 Million subscribers in 5 years through Refika's Cookery School. The mission of the channel is that everyone can reach the Türkiye (Turkey) Cookery School as free to share any information needed in the kitchen.

Refika lives in Kuzguncuk neighbourhood of Istanbul. Upon the publication of her book, she needed a studio that suits this spirit. Therefore she initiated a long-term renovation in the building that has been idle for 30 years and was built by the Greek architect Simotas in Kuzguncuk. There, she created her own dream kitchen studio with the name Refika’nın Mutfağı. A mecca for foodies in no small part due to Refika’s efforts, the picturesque Istanbul neighborhood of Kuzguncuk became her living and working headquarters. Her local butcher, baker, and grocer are regulars on her TV show. As of 2020, Refika’nın Mutfağı, Börek Productions, Refika’dan and the Refika’s Kitchen global YouTube channels are still continuing their activities there.

In 2018, she created a brand new and different concept called ‘Refika ile Öze Dönüş’ on Fox TV and 24Kitchen. With this program, she aims to go back to her roots, to convey the materials, dishes and techniques of our country's rich cuisine to our viewers and values. She also describes that many flavours will enrich what people eat through our forgotten roots, values and traditions.

In 2016, ‘Düdüklünün Sihirleri’ as published. This book has practical and delicious recipes and aims to break from the prejudices. With the pressure cooker, she offers delicious recipes that prove that all tastes can be cooked from main course to dessert.

In 2015, upon the release of ‘Refika ile Hızlı Tarifler’ where she shared both delicious and very practical recipes with the audience in 10 minutes, she was awarded the Best Food Program of the Year by the Future of Tourism Platform.

In 2015, ‘Hızlı Tarifler’ which was the written version of the TV show and the recipes there was published. With this book, she aimed to bring everyone who does not cook for a variety of reasons in the kitchen, and to tell them how to enjoy cooking and simple cooking in the house.

In August 2013, ‘Narlı Tarifler’ brought together 24 delicious recipes with pomegranates, the beauty and the fruit of nature.

In October 2011, she started presenting the show Mucize Lezzetler, which was sponsored by Arçelik in her kitchen studio in Kuzguncuk. The show is being broadcast on the weekends on NTV & Star TV, which is one of the most important national TV channels of Turkey. The fact that each show has a different concept, and that the Turkish cuisine is used in a local and natural way without any limitations make it stand out among other food shows.

In 2010, Birgül published her first bilingual cookbook Refika’nın Mutfağı/Cooking New Istanbul Style.

While she was working as a hospital manager, her friends encouraged her to write a cookery book. The book was completed in pockets of time snatched from an overloaded and stressful business life. Refika’nın Mutfağı / Cooking New Istanbul Style was published in April 2010 in English and Turkish. The first print run sold out in 1,5 months. In 2011, New York MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) Destination: İstanbul exhibition chose the book to go on sale in MoMA and Refika made it to New York for the first time to present it.

Refika Birgül (May 19, 1980, Istanbul) is a food writer and television presenter. She is both the weekly food columnist of Refika’nın Mutfağı (Refika’s Kitchen) for Turkey's Hürriyet Daily News newspaper as well as the cooking program host of Mucize Lezzetler (Miracle Tastes). She hosts YouTube cooking channels in Turkish and English.