Ukraine restaurant named Cawston in homage to Norfolk village

On February 24 last year, Milena Bezrutchenko was forced to flee her beloved country after war broke out in Kyiv. 

She was eight months pregnant and, with her teenage daughter Vlada in tow, she managed to find refuge with British hosts in the north Norfolk village of Cawston.

Cawston restaurant in Ukraine (Image: Courtesy of Bezrutchenko family)

As well as leaving behind everything she knew, her husband Misha was forced to stay in Ukraine where the couple had been in the final stages of planning a new business in nearby Kalynivka. 

Mrs Bezrutchenko said: “We had planned to create a new restaurant and bar for locals, with the aim of bringing my husband’s dream of cooking huge, delicious burgers at the heart of it. 

“We had planned to open before our son was born, but fate had different ideas.” 

Courtesy of Bezrutchenko family (Image: Courtesy of Bezrutchenko family)

The couple had already drawn up plans, measured out where all the equipment and furnishings would go, and went as far as purchasing soft chairs and tables. 

“They were incredible,” she added. “When I saw them, I knew it was going to be a comfortable and cozy place. 

“But February 24 changed everything. 

“When I hugged my husband at the Ukrainian border, I didn't know that it would be the last time I saw him for more than six months.” 

Cawston restaurant in Ukraine (Image: Courtesy of Bezrutchenko family)

Six weeks later, she gave birth to their son Dmytriy, and quickly thoughts turned back to fulfilling their ambition of opening the bar. 

“My husband, he called me and said he had the news that ‘a burger bar is coming’ and he said the name will be Cawston in honor of the village and in thanks to the owners of the house – Teresa and Peter – where we have been living in England.” 

With her husband and brother-in-law on the ground in Ukraine, she quickly set to work creating a logo, menu, and bringing the interior of the building to life. 

And despite frequent power cuts, reliance on generators, and a lack of water at times, Cawston Burger Meat Bar has now become a thriving business in Ukraine.

Cawston restaurant in Ukraine (Image: Courtesy of Bezrutchenko family)

Cawston restaurant in Ukraine (Image: Courtesy of Bezrutchenko family)

Fire blazes behind the word 'Cawston' at the restaurant in Ukraine (Image: Courtesy of Bezrutchenko family)

The Bezrutchenko family at Christmas (Image: Courtesy of Bezrutchenko family)