She Made: discovery & recovery of Ukraine
Craft Cheese Dairy “BUDZ BARAN”
Khrystyna Zakrevska
Khrystyna Zakrevska, founder of the family-run craft cheese dairy “BUDZ BARAN” in the Hutsul region, started her journey with her husband during the 2019 lockdown, armed with just 10 liters of milk and $50.
Today, the family processes 15 tons of milk each month, sourced from local farmers, and is actively developing recipes for the export market.
The project “She Made: discovery & recovery of Ukraine” was created by Marie Claire Business Ukraine and UN Women Ukraine funded by The United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF). WPHF mobilizes critical support for local and grassroots civil society organizations working on women, peace and security and humanitarian action. WPHF is a flexible and rapid financing mechanism supporting quality interventions designed to enhance the capacity of women to prevent conflict, respond to crises and emergencies, and seize key peacebuilding opportunities.
“Gradually, starting with a small 10-liter pot, we grew our production. For about a year, we worked from home and realized that people truly valued our cheese. This also brought benefits to the local community, as we began purchasing milk from them — a resource that, until then, had largely gone unused.” — Rostyslav Zakrevskyi
- How did the idea to create a cheese dairy come about? What was the inspiration?
Khrystyna Zakrevska: The idea was my husband’s. I’d like him to share how it all started, and I’ll add my perspective afterward.
Rostyslav Zakrevskyi: The beginning of our journey was quite interesting. I’m originally from Kolomyia and have always loved hiking in the mountains. When I met Khrystyna, she brought me here, to the mountains, to her home. I was immediately captivated by the beauty of the place — the stunning landscapes and the pristine, untouched nature. I also noticed that most people in the area had a tradition of keeping cows. We decided that this tradition was worth preserving, so we started buying milk from local residents. In doing so, we also aimed to sustain the Hutsul tradition of cheesemaking. Traditional Carpathian cheeses include brynza, budz, and vurda, and we worked on modernizing and refining these recipes. That’s how the idea for our cheese dairy was born.
We began working from home — making cheese and experimenting to see what we could create. Then our son was born, and he was so energetic that he took up most of our time. Despite the challenges, we continued nurturing our idea. Our business took shape during a global crisis — the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. Unfortunately, this coincided with the closure of all the small markets in Kolomyia. Local women who used to bring milk from the villages into the city for sale were no longer able to do so.
“We managed to create something good for ourselves and for others. Step by step, we built up to where we are today — a large cheese dairy developed with significant investment, effort, resilience, and dedication.” — Rostyslav Zakrevsky
Before Easter, my mom called and asked if she could get some cheese, milk, and sour cream from us for the holiday. Naturally, we agreed — not to sell it, but to give it to her. At the same time, I said to Khrystyna, “What if others might be interested? Why don’t we expand this idea and offer cheese to more people? Maybe they’d want to buy it.” Together, Khrystyna and I posted an ad in local groups and on social media. We spent half the night replying to messages and were amazed by the overwhelming response.
Starting with a small 10-liter pot, we gradually grew our production. We began investing in equipment. For about a year, we worked from home and realized there was a real demand for our cheese. It also benefited the local community because we started buying milk from them — a resource that, until then, no one had really been purchasing locally.
We managed to create something good for ourselves and for others. Step by step, we built up to where we are today — a large cheese dairy developed with significant investment, effort, resilience, and dedication.
It sounds like
- That first night when you processed orders, how many did you receive?
Khrystyna Zakrevska: Our first delivery was to Kolomyia, and it totaled 4,700 UAH. At that time, we had invested just $50 into our business, back when the exchange rate was 25 UAH per dollar — so about 1,250 UAH.
- So, you now have your own 200 m² production facility, purchase over 15 tons of milk per month from the local community, and all of this started with just $50?
Khrystyna Zakrevska: Yes, but it took four years of continuous effort. Everything we earned, we reinvested. We started in 2019 with our own funds and later attracted grant funding, which we also reinvested.
“We currently buy 700 liters of milk daily, which adds up to about 15 tons per month. We source it from 60 households. Recently, another 10 partners from a neighboring village joined us.” — Rostyslav Zakrevskyi
- How much milk do you purchase?
Rostyslav Zakrevskyi: We currently buy 700 liters of milk daily, which adds up to about 15 tons per month. We source it from 60 households. Recently, another 10 partners from a neighboring village joined us, and local farmers have started increasing their herds. This is wonderful because it provides them with additional income, and we gain access to more milk.
Khrystyna Zakrevska: With an increased supply of milk, we’ll need to find new ways to sell more cheese. Currently, we sell through social media and a few craft shops across Ukraine. Next summer, we plan to scale up milk processing and are exploring export opportunities and getting our products onto the shelves of national supermarkets. Last week, I attended an international forum with representatives from 25 countries. We had a conversation with a representative from Romania who loved our cheese and proposed a collaboration. This partnership is particularly appealing because of our proximity to the border — it’s only about 300 kilometers from here. To begin exporting, we’ll need to obtain an ISO certificate, complete all required documentation, plan logistics for cross-border transportation, and familiarize ourselves with customs procedures.
“We are brainstorming an innovative idea — using drones to collect milk. We’ll need to find someone to map out the drone’s route.” — Khrystyna Zakrevska
- How do you collect milk in areas with no roads?
Khrystyna Zakrevska: We currently have two Nissan Patrols that handle milk collection, stopping at multiple households along the way. However, we’re brainstorming an innovative idea — using drones for this process. We’ve applied for a grant to explore this concept. While we’re unsure if it will materialize, securing funding would allow us to pursue it. The next step will be finding someone to map out the drone’s route.
“We position ourselves as ‘producers of cheese from happy cows’ milk.’ The cows in the Hutsul region graze freely; they are not tethered, roam wherever they like, eat fresh grass for most of the year, and are supplemented only with pure hay without additives. From this milk, we craft our cheese.” — Khrystyna Zakrevska
- What about food technology? Do you have unique recipes or unusual flavors? Or is cheesemaking a standardized process?
Khrystyna Zakrevska: We position ourselves as “producers of cheese from happy cows’ milk.” The cows in the Hutsul region graze freely; they are not tethered, roam wherever they like, eat fresh grass for most of the year, and are supplemented only with pure hay without additives.
From this milk, we craft our cheese. It undergoes thermal processing, specifically pasteurization. We deliberately use a low-temperature pasteurization process, heating the milk to just 65°C to preserve as many nutrients as possible.
In most productions, pasteurization is done at 75°C, which causes calcium to precipitate. It then has to be artificially reintroduced into the milk. We avoid this practice because our production is genuinely artisanal, with no additives or subtractions.
Next, as the curd forms, we cut it into grains, mix it, heat it again, and then separate the whey. The cheese is placed into special molds in most cases, but for our “Dry Jack,” it is tied in cheesecloth and hung. These are our two main techniques.
Rostyslav Zakrevskyi: Afterward, the cheese goes through salting and aging. There are two salting methods: dry salting, where the cheese is rubbed with salt on both sides, and wet salting, where it is soaked in brine. We use both methods. All our cheeses are made from cow’s milk.
We dream of working with sheep’s milk, but unfortunately, it’s not readily available nearby. While we can collect cow’s milk using the mountain route, sheep milk from remote pastures is much harder to source because of the lack of roads.
It sounds like
- And what variety of cheeses do you produce from cow’s milk?
Khrystyna Zakrevska: We produce three categories of cheese. The first includes young, soft, traditional cheeses like budz and brynza, which have been made in the Hutsul region for centuries. The second category consists of stretch-curd cheeses, such as pasta filata, mozzarella, and suluguni. From these cheeses, we can create various shapes — figures, sticks, braids, and the iconic Hutsul cheese horses. The third category includes semi-hard cheeses aged for more than six months in our storage facility.
All our recipes are derived from professional cheesemaking courses, with detailed technical guides that we follow step by step. Everything is clearly outlined, one step at a time. However, I must emphasize that the flavor of the cheese depends significantly on the milk. Even if we use the same recipe, starter cultures, and technology, cheese made in Rivne and cheese made here will have completely different flavors.
- How much does your cheese cost, and do you have a favorite variety from "Budz Baran"?
Khrystyna Zakrevska: Each cheese suits a particular mood. I love “Caciotta,” which has the shortest aging period (three months) but offers a nutty aftertaste thanks to the addition of fenugreek. I also enjoy “Manchego,” which has a caramelized milk aftertaste.
We also have the delicious “Dry Jack.” It has a brown crust and a unique shape because it’s tied into a bundle with cheesecloth, rubbed with a mix of pepper, salt, cocoa, and oil, and aged in this way. The cheese heads vary in size, from 3.5 to 5 kilograms. One kilogram costs 850 UAH, with a minimum order of 200 grams. We’ve also developed signature cheeses in response to customer requests for “green, orange, or pink cheese.” This led to a popular variety that everyone loves — green cheese infused with basil, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and a rich blend of spices. Additionally, we produce “Gouda” in its classic form and a version with peppers, both aged for six months.
- How do you organize the investment process in your business, and what role does support from grant programs play?
Khrystyna Zakrevska: Through reinvestment. This process is ongoing: we sell cheese, reinvest the revenue into production and expansion, and keep only what we need for living expenses. We don’t invest in other areas or set aside savings because there’s always something that needs to be purchased. Over time, we’ve benefited from support provided by approximately ten grant programs. These grants have been diverse, with many focused on funding equipment and storage facilities for cheese maturation, which we began constructing last year.
A well-known Ukrainian cheesemaker, Roman Khaietskyi, initially helped us plan everything to meet the necessary requirements. For the internal layout, we presented the plan to the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection, and they assisted us in refining it. Our main priority was to ensure compliance with HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points — a system that identifies, evaluates, and controls hazards critical to food safety — Editor’s note) requirements, ensuring everything was precise and up to standard.
- The Rural Women’s Business Network, supported by UN Women Ukraine and WPHF, provided assistance to your project. What was this program, and how has your life changed since participating in it?
Khrystyna Zakrevska: This is an incredible organization — I absolutely love it — because it provides not only grant support but also expert assistance. Expert support is crucial for young entrepreneurs who might not have prior experience or formal education in business. For example, I’m a medical professional by training, and I realized I couldn’t see myself working in state institutions or other jobs. I wanted to have “something of my own.” That “something” became our cheese dairy.
The Rural Women’s Business Network supported us in many areas, including planning the dairy to meet HACCP requirements and developing product labels. They helped us tremendously. We won our first grant through a program supported by UN Women Ukraine and WPHF, while we were still working from home in a small space we had converted for production. Back then, we were packaging orders until one or two in the morning because our small household vacuum sealers were extremely time-consuming. That’s when we saw an opportunity for a mini-grant through the Rural Women’s Business Network and used it to purchase professional vacuum machines.
The larger grant came last year, thanks to support from UN Women Ukraine and WPHF. I applied, though I didn’t expect much, thinking it was unlikely we’d receive support again. However, representatives visited us, assessed everything personally, monitored our progress, and evaluated whether our business was growing. They saw that we were moving in the right direction.
With this larger grant, we applied for funding to install heating in our dairy. We had moved into the facility the previous winter and didn’t have the resources to install a heating system.
It sounds like
“It’s very hard to make a living here, extremely hard! People are afraid to start something of their own. But we did it! We took the leap and showed them a positive example.” — Khrystyna Zakrevska
- What other challenges do you face, or what needs for development do you see in your community?
Khrystyna Zakrevska: Our village has very poor connectivity — only one bus goes to the city, and it runs just once a day. The asphalt here hasn’t been repaired in ages; even my parents don’t remember when it was last intact. Now, it’s all potholes. The bus route from Kolomyia to our village was shortened because there aren’t enough people: many men are at war due to Russian aggression, and others have left. It’s very hard to make a living here, extremely hard!
People are afraid to start something of their own. But we did it! We took the leap and showed them a positive example. Shortly after, a craft meat production opened not far from us. They make jerky, cured meats, and also have trout. The founder of that business saw me secure one grant and then another and started applying for similar programs. They received a grant and began developing actively. Now, we already have two gastronomic tourist locations in our area. There’s also a beautiful waterfall nearby. We have plenty to attract tourists — except a proper road.
Despite this, people are coming now. Before the cheese dairy existed, no one came!
We have a tasting terrace, and we dream of creating something more on the second floor than just a tasting room. We want to build a cultural heritage space where visitors can not only taste cheese but also explore traditional crafts. We plan to invite ceramicists, artisans who make the iconic cheese horses, and woodcarvers for workshops. We aim to support the development of traditions that had been forgotten but are now gaining renewed interest. People are becoming intensely curious about them. We need to not only preserve Ukraine’s cultural heritage but also develop, promote, and appreciate it. And we’d like to do this here in our village.
Our ultimate dream is to create an ecosystem. For example, having guest houses would be highly relevant. Currently, there’s nowhere to stay in our village, apart from one place that’s suitable only for a basic overnight stay. We could host a “Cheesemakers’ Day,” where anyone could try their hand at the craft. Our village is home to Mount Grehit, where a tourist trail could be developed. All of this is necessary, but the financial plan and the lack of a proper road hold us back.
Support products and services crafted by women in Ukraine. Stay updated with “BUDZ BARAN”
The idea and coordination of the project: the UN Women Ukraine team. The civil society organizations that were involved in selecting entrepreneurship stories: The Rural Women's Business Network.
Media Expedition: General Producer of Marie Claire Business and Project Creative Director: Julia Brosko. Head of Brand Marie Claire Ukraine: Kateryna Fastovets. Expedition Team Administration: Yanina Provotar. Photos on this page: Nadia Berska. Video: Marharyta Omelchuk. Editing: Viktor Khodosov. Texts: Julia Brosko. Retouching: Olena Chykylova. Web: Vitalii Provotar. Expedition Driver: Svitlana Sapon.
The United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) is the only global mechanism exclusively dedicated to supporting women’s participation in peacebuilding, security processes, and humanitarian assistance. Governed by a group of representatives from civil society, governments, and the UN, WPHF is a multi-partner trust fund that mobilizes urgently needed funding for local, women-led organizations and works alongside women on the front lines to build sustainable peace.
Since 2016, WPHF has provided funding and strengthened the capacity of more than 1,000 local women’s civil society organizations working on the "Women, Peace, and Security" agenda and implementing humanitarian initiatives in 41 crisis-affected countries worldwide.
This publication is produced with funding from the United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), however, the views expressed and content included does not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.