From the Front to the Smokehouse: How a Veteran Launched a Family Meat Production

03.10.2026, 07:00◉ 02 min readEditorial team “SHCHO STALOSIA”

A veteran from the Kyiv region went from selling meat to creating a craft production, and 30 thousand UAH, organized by the concerned, gave rise to a business that produces 300 kg of products per month. "Smoked pig" began as an attempt by the Danilevsky family to find additional earnings after Andriy's return from the war.

From the Front to the Smokehouse: How a Veteran Launched a Family Meat Production

However, the first attempt was unsuccessful: a child was born, the family lacked money and the production was closed.

In the summer of 2025, the entrepreneur went on foot from Volodarka to Odesa to draw attention to the problems of the military with payments. During the campaign, it was possible not only to draw attention to the problem – people also helped to raise money for the restoration of meat production.

The collected UAH 30,000 became the starting funds for the re-launch. The family prepared documents, passed certification, registered craft production and got the opportunity to sell goods in stores and markets.

To re-launch the Smoked Pig, the couple arranged a separate room. Some of the equipment remained from the first attempt, and for new volumes they purchased a mincing machine and a meat grinder. "It is difficult to knead large volumes of sausage with your hands," Andrii explains.

Details

They could no longer use meat from their own farm, because it came from domestic slaughter, so they began to buy raw materials at the meatprocessing plant.

Context

Initially, the couple sold their own meat, but later it became clear that they could earn more on processing. After the restart, they set up production and found new sales channels.

How does a small family production work, why did the family abandon its own meat after the legalization of business, how much does it cost to turn a kilogram of raw materials into a finished product and how does Smoked Mumps compete with cheaper products?

What's next

Another feature of production is the composition of products. "We do not use chemistry, only natural spices. We know that we will give our products to our own child," says the entrepreneur.