Friends bid to bring taste of Ukraine to North Wales
THEY FLED AS THEIR CITY WAS SHELLED AND ARRIVED HERE WITH A VISION TO PROMOTE UNITY THROUGH AN APPRECIATION FOR FOOD
THREE Ukrainian friends who have left their war-torn country have launched a crowdfunding campaign to set up their own restaurant in Gwynedd.
Yuliia Mikhailova, her friends Katya and Olya and their children left Ukraine in April and have resettled in the Caernarfon area.
According to Yuliia, the three women have different professions but one thing unites them – a passion for cooking.
In an attempt to remain closer to home as well as embracing their new one, the friends wish to set up a Ukrainian cuisine restaurant in North Wales.
“We want to open a Ukrainian restaurant in North Wales and call it Sunflower,” Yuliia explained.
“I thought about opening a restaurant back in Ukraine, but inner fears stopped me.
“Everyone here praises the food I cook, and my friends cook well, so we started to find out how realistic it was to open a restaurant or a food truck in North Wales. “It turned out that it is quite possible.” The aim of the restaurant is to serve Ukrainian signature dishes such as borsch, dumplings, Kyiv cutlets, as well as mixed Ukrainian-British dishes.
According to Yuliia, British and Ukrainian cuisines are quite similar and she hopes to infuse both, not only to introduce the people of North Wales to new foods, but also try to help her compatriots.
Yuliia said: “When meeting Ukrainians who came to North Wales, I learned that our artists also came here.
“I think it will be interesting to design a restaurant in our national style with them.
“In addition, having gone abroad, you ask yourself the question – so, I’m safe, how can I help those who remain, those whose houses are destroyed, those who defend our homeland at the front?
“Therefore, my friends and I decided we would definitely transfer part of the profits to the fund for helping victims of the war.”
Yuliia is originally from Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, in the northeastern part of the country.
The city has been heavily targeted by Russian shelling, with many residents killed and buildings destroyed.
Yuliia remembers the start of the invasion well.
She recalled: “The first day of the war was very scary.
“We woke up from the sound of artillery shots and immediately began to collect things.
“The children were still sleeping and we did not wake them up.
“Having collected three backpacks and a pram, we left the house and began our journey into the unknown.
“Under the sounds of shelling, we left the city.
“Kharkiv is a big city, with one and a half million inhabitants, so all the roads had turned into long traffic jams.
“We still managed to leave the city and continue our way to the Moldovan border.
“It was quite difficult, both physically and emotionally.”
She added: “Nevertheless, our whole life remained in Kharkiv, but the safety of children is more important, so we do not regret our decision to temporarily leave.”
Katya has known Yuliia for many years, and came to North Wales following Yuliia’s recommendation.
The two met Olya in the area, but according to Yuliaa, it feels like they have been “friends for a long time”.
“The war has united many Ukrainians,” Yuliia said.
“We seem to be brothers and sisters.
“We love living in North Wales. It’s quiet and peaceful here, with very friendly people.
“There is also wonderful nature here. We wake up to the singing of birds, a lot of green pastures with sheep and cows.
“True, the weather is often windy and rainy, which we are getting used to it for the time being.
“There are quite a lot of similarities with Ukraine, but there are also significant differences.
“In general, we feel comfortable here.”
According to Yuliia, opening a restaurant would be a “dream come true”.
The three friends have been busy looking into how to open and run a business.
Yuliia added: “It will be a big responsibility, but I feel excitement and joy by the idea of opening a restaurant here. My friends and I are looking forward to this.
“Food is what brings people together and that idea is so important right now.”