Sartaj Singh
‘Outlast’ season 2 pushed a varied group of survivalists to their limits in one of the most unforgiving environments on the planet. Among the four teams, Eric Shevchenko intelligently chose the members of Delta, adding the powerhouse Mountain Man, Brendon Ash, alongside the versatile Joseph Malbrough and Tina Grimm. Although Shevchenko frequently butted heads with his teammates, it is undeniable that they made a great team. His skills as a chef ensured that morale remained high while the others brought in plenty of food stock, making them the most successful party in the early game. When a hungry and tired Joey DiDesidero showed up at the team’s doorstep looking for sanctuary, the pragmatic chef displayed a soft side by making a case for his acceptance. Seemingly temperamental but an effective survivalist, Shevchenko stood out as one of the prominent personalities in the show, whose empathetic turnaround by the finale touched hearts.
Eric Shevchenko Has Traveled Over the Country For Various Ventures
Eric Shevchenko is a third-generation farmer and restaurateur who focuses on preserving traditional forms of farming and cooking. Raised in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Shevchenko learned the art of farming from his Ukrainian grandfather, who taught him time-tested methods of raising rabbits. He utilized these methods to establish the Old World Rabbitry in Sebastopol, California. His diverse work experiences include training sled dogs for the Iditarod and Yukon Quest dog races, working at a zoo, and spending summers at the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary in New Mexico in the late 1990s.
After a series of moves and challenging ventures, including overcoming a devastating outbreak of myxomatosis that decimated his rabbits, Shevchenko established his farm in Sebastopol in 2015. While he has since shifted to Saint Charles, Michigan, the 49-year-old still continues to grow some of his own ingredients and raises animals on Old World Farms in Saginaw County, including chicken and bees. He also sells his natural soaps and balms through Outdoor Soap Co.
Shevchenko’s Old World Pizzeria Has Opened With a Bang
After returning from ‘Outlast,’ Shevchenko shifted his focus to a major upcoming project. Alongside co-owners, tattoo artists Chad Koeplinger and Pat Schreader, he researched for and set about establishing the Old World Pizzeria in Saginaw, Michigan. With a summer 2024 opening date announced in April of the same year, he was hard at work developing recipes, training staff, and finalizing the menu. The restaurant made its big opening on August 5 and sold out their stock by day two.
The unique selling point of their pizza is that its dough is made from non-GMO, non-bromated, unbleached flour and goes through a three-day fermentation process to create a crumb in the crust with exquisite structure and flavors. The restaurant combines Eric’s passion for culinary authenticity with his commitment to natural, wholesome ingredients. The restaurant is innovating, and there doesn’t seem to be an unsatisfied customer in sight. The cozy, inviting atmosphere and delicious pizza are quickly making Old World Pizzeria a cherished spot for locals and visitors alike.
Shevchenko is Busy Setting Up Another Business — Preservation
Venturing to Old Town, Saginaw, Eric Shevchenko is starting a new shop called Preservation. Through it, the chef seeks to teach old methods of food preservation through fermentation, a process that he uses to make the delectable pizza dough his pizzeria is becoming famous for. The shop will also offer a variety of products, including kimchi, kavas, different sauerkrauts, and fermented salsas, both local and non-local. The goal is to help people at home learn the trade of preservation by providing educational classes on food history, fermentation, and different forms of preservation.
Shevchenko Continues to Channel His Love for Food With a Supportive Community
The journey to opening the Old World Pizzeria has been marked by stories of interpersonal connections for Eric Shevchenko, all the way from his mother’s recipes to meeting Chad Koeplinger, Pat Schreader, and many others who have contributed to his ventures. “We established ourselves in this community around 1993 here in Old Town aka Old World,” wrote the 49-year-old in an Instagram post. “As brothers we have traveled around the world and then met some great people and been to some amazing places but our hearts will always lie here in The Old World. So happy to have had a great time with my brothers and meeting new creative people.” Shevchenko was married to Chef Tiffany Friedman and is seemingly divorced. His daughter, Zoya, graduated in September 2023. Having faced enormous challenges throughout his life, we hope that the road ahead for Eric Shevchenko will be a seamless and prosperous one.
Read More: Joey DiDesidero: Where is the Outlast Season 2 Contestant Now?
