Copyright © 2021 Euromaidanpress.com

The work of Euromaidan Press is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation

When referencing our materials, please include an active hyperlink to the Euromaidan Press material and a maximum 500-character extract of the story. To reprint anything longer, written permission must be acquired from [email protected].

Privacy and Cookie Policies.

Things looking gouda again for Mariupol cheese maker

Businessman Oleksandr Shkatula was forced to leave his native Makiivka because of the war. He has since opened his own cheese business in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

Before Russia’s war in the East, Oleksandr Shkatula worked in a restaurant in his native city of Makiivka. That is where he made the first steps in cheese making. What started off as a hobby has turned into a process of boiling 100 liters of milk at a time. This is enough to make 12 kilograms of cheese.

“I went from a 10-liter pan to a 50-liter pan. That was when I was working as a chef in a restaurant. But all this lasted for so long, it was inconvenient and unmanageable. I was so excited about this idea; I spent 2 years planning it,” saysthe owner.

Oleksandr sent his business plan into a local competition and won a grant to open a business. Oleksandr used the grant to open up shop:

“The money I received was enough to buy all the equipment: a small cheese making complex, a vacuum, and a freezer for storage and ripening.”

Oleksandr makes cheese in tandem with his wife Olena. They’re planning on hiring two employees. Olena says she loves working and supporting her husband. She even left her job at a bank to help full time.

“I worked in a bank for a long time, and in an insurance company, then I went on maternity leave. I decided to set this aside and help my husband with his business. I don’t think that anyone else would help him as sincerely as I would. Our children love their father’s cheese,” says Olena.

The couple buys the milk they use for cheese making from local farmers. After the New Year, the couple plans to increase production and open up a chain of stores.

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this.  We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!
Total
0
Shares