Ukrainian refugee living in Oakham to set up cake business

A Ukrainian refugee wants to turn a hobby into a business.

Tatyana Zubatova fled Ukraine in April 2022 with her two children and settled in Oakham.

Although she has found work doing cleaning, Tatyana wants to bring a taste of Ukraine to the area with her baking.

“It was my hobby and now I am trying to make a business from it,” she said.

“My main problem is where I can sell my cakes.”

Tatyana plans to set up social media pages and make contact with some of the cafes in Rutland, but has been putting the task off due to worries.

“Even though I know they are tasty I’m really nervous something will go wrong,” she said.

“I want everything to be perfect.”

Tatyana steers away from sponges and instead bakes traditional Ukrainian cakes.

These are made with cream and several layers, and can take a whole day to bake and decorate.

The former data analyst said: “I enjoy the process and the result, especially when everyone enjoys it.

“The last one I made for my previous hosts and it was the first time they tried a cake like it.

“I was told they never had eaten such a tasty cake before.”

At parties and her children’s school events Tatyana was always in the kitchen baking treats.

Since she moved to England she taught Ukrainian refugees how to make a cake as part of a project with the Stamford Diversity Group.

“I would be really happy baking for someone, especially for cafes,” the 44-year-old said.

“It would be much more pleasant than cleaning jobs as I love baking.”

Anyone wanting to order a cake or to find out more can contact Tatyana on 07467 410068 or by Whatsapp on +380 95 216 4922.