Yuliia was already an accomplished chef when she arrived in Wales, after leaving her home in war torn Ukraine. Her passion for food started in childhood when she made and sold cakes in her uncle’s shop, and she was delighted that she could continue developing her skills at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai.
Arriving in Wales aged 16, Yuliia had to learn English from scratch and perfect her skills, overcoming both language and loss to pursue her ambition. After completing Level 3 Professional Culinary Arts and now studying for Level 3 Front of House, Yuliia’s talents shone through, and she was put forward to compete in Welsh International Culinary Championships and WorldSkills UK Competitions. Her success led her to being selected to represent the UK at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026.
“Being selected for Team UK is the proudest moment of my life. When I came to the UK, I never imagined I would get this far. The positive pressure of competing, the wide range of projects I’ve worked on, and the networking opportunities have been invaluable to my college work and career.”
In preparation for the world’s largest international skills competition, Yuliia has attended training sessions at the Ritz in London and Gleneagles in Scotland and has recently travelled to Switzerland to train.
In addition to her studying and training, Yuliia also works part-time at the four-star St George’s Hotel in Llandudno. Her employers are very proud of her success and have been looking at how they can incorporate the new skills that Yuliia is learning into their business.
Yuliia is especially grateful to her teachers and training mentors, particularly Mike Garner and Glen Hughes from Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, for their unwavering support, as well as her WorldSkills UK Training Managers, Shyam Patiar and Pauline Dale.
“I’m so grateful to my college and tutor for believing in me and encouraging me to take part in skills competitions. They’ve been with me every step of the way throughout all of my competitions, and without them, I wouldn’t be where I am now.”
Yuliia’s one bit of advice for apprentices and learners who are looking to take part in next year’s WorldSkills UK Competitions is “Go for it! I’m doing something I love every single day – the opportunities available are endless.”
