We are a Ukrainian family from Enerhodar, Ukraine. In 2022, we came to England with the support of Clive and Catherine, who welcomed us to the charming town of Fairford. Thanks to them, our beautiful journey began. They helped us start a new life from scratch in a foreign country, and we are deeply grateful for their kindness and generosity. They are part of our family!

After spending less than a year with Clive and Catherine, we decided to rent a house nearby, where we settled as a family in another lovely town close to Fairford. Here, by the River Thames, we found our new home.

From the very beginning of our journey in England, we dreamed of starting a family business — something that would allow us to give back to the community while embracing the culture of our new country and meeting wonderful people along the way. Although it has been a short time since we arrived, we have been working hard to learn as much as we can. We are diligently studying English at college and greatly appreciate any help we receive, as Ukrainian remains our first language. We never expected that we would need to learn another language so quickly, but according to our teachers, we are making great progress, and it’s becoming easier to connect with people.

Our journey hasn’t been easy, as is often the case for those in a similar situation. However, we choose not to dwell on the difficulties and instead focus on sharing the best of what we have to offer because there are many things beyond our control.

In 2024, we invested our savings into opening a small café, but unfortunately, it wasn’t the right move due to various factors. Despite the setback, we didn’t give up. We returned to our daily jobs and continued to plan for a new family café — this time under better conditions and with a more advanced approach. Taking matters into our own hands and with the support of others, we rented a large space in the heart of Cirencester — The Woolmarket — which was previously a children’s clothing store.

This new venture was a significant challenge. The language barrier made handling important matters difficult, and we were unfortunately taken advantage of on several occasions, incurring unnecessary costs due to our lack of experience and misplaced trust in the wrong people. However, despite these obstacles — including the absence of a credit history and our short time in the UK — we managed to achieve something remarkable. We built our family café almost from nothing, relying on our skills, hard work, and ability to create something out of very little.

Phoenix Café is a warm and inviting place that welcomes not only the Ukrainian community but everyone who wants to enjoy delicious handmade cakes and exceptional coffee.

Our family is the heart of this place:

• Olena — The owner of Phoenix Café and a kind-hearted woman with a passion for artistic baking. Her unique, handcrafted pastries, made fresh with carefully selected ingredients, will be available to purchase at the café.

• Alina — The owner, Kris fiancée and a professional barista with extensive knowledge and experience in crafting exceptional coffee. She has been mastering her skills for years, continuously improving her techniques to serve coffee that stands out.

• Andrii — The owner. A talented cook who will surprise you with his traditional culinary skills, preparing the best homemade dishes from Ukraine alongside Zina. He played a vital role in building the café with his own hands, making it the warm and welcoming place it is today.

• Anatoli — Our "jack-of-all-trades," who put immense effort into the construction and renovation of the café. His hard work and dedication were essential to bringing our vision to life.

• Kris — Originally from Poland, living in England many years, Alina’s life partner and the business manager of Phoenix Café. Kris handles marketing, legal matters, and overall business management, ensuring that everything stays on track.

Together, we built Phoenix Café from the ground up. Despite the challenges we faced, we are a family that stands strong through everything. Our shared goal is to provide a warm, welcoming place where you can feel at home — a place that is more than just a business; it is our passion, a symbol of unity, and a testament to hard work and heart.

We warmly invite you to visit Phoenix Café in Cirencester and experience it for yourself. We look forward to welcoming you!