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.
