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From the Restaurant to the Trenches: The Story of a Military Cook
He used to prepare delicacies in famous restaurants in Kyiv, Ukraine, but now he is a military cook.
The cheerful and charismatic Yaroslav from “MasterChef” is currently a soldier in the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, with the call sign “Culinary.”
Do you remember him? Smiling, with his signature headband and stylish embroidered wardrobe, Yaroslav Breus, although not the winner of the culinary show “MasterChef,” was one of its most memorable participants and certainly won the audience’s hearts!
After the show, he worked as a cook, sous-chef, and chef in restaurants in Chernihiv and Kyiv, Ukraine, and conducted culinary master classes for children and adults.
Everything changed on February 24, 2022. Yaroslav Breus volunteered to defend Ukraine in the early days of the full-scale invasion.
Today, we talk with Yaroslav about what it’s like to exchange a restaurant kitchen for a trench, cooking porridge under fire, “borsch therapy,” and the secrets of military cuisine.
About "Volunteering for War"
On February 23, 2022, Yaroslav was working in one of the best establishments in the capital – the restaurant “Veranda on the Dnipro.” By around March 3, he was already at a recruitment center, joining a unit that was then part of the territorial defense “Azov,” which eventually became part of the renowned 3rd Assault Brigade.
“Why did I decide to defend Ukraine? I’ll put it, without any pomp… Ultimately, when I made that decision, there wasn’t time for grand thoughts or speeches: in our nine-story building in Kyiv, only five of us were left across four entrances.”
“We understood that we shouldn’t just sit and wait; we needed to unite and go to defend and help those who are protecting us. I wanted to do something, to be useful during this difficult time.
Due to health issues, I hadn’t even completed regular conscription service; I could have ‘sat on the sidelines’ even when the full-scale war began, but… I couldn’t. I felt that I had to help my country – in any way I could. And I still believe that today.”
Yaroslav didn’t hesitate – he joined the highly motivated group of fellow soldiers. By early May, after the liberation of Kyiv Oblast, he set out with his comrades to the Zaporizhzhia direction in Ukraine.
Yaroslav’s mother found out about his decision to join the military only a few months later when they were in the Zaporizhzhia direction. Initially, to avoid worrying her, he told her he was volunteering in Kyiv, helping, and cooking meals for Ukrainian soldiers – which was indeed true in the early days of the Russian invasion.
“We cooked a lot back then – waking up at four in the morning and staying on your feet cooking until midnight, preparing and distributing meals… When we left for Eastern Ukraine and my mom suggested meeting in Kyiv, I told her the truth because there was no other way,” he laughs. “I understand that my mom worried, and still worries every day, but I saw no other path or choice for myself…”
On Patriotism and Motivation
Patriotism is a fundamental, “ingrained” trait for him — it’s as natural as breathing.
“I remember many years ago in Kyiv, after a soccer match, I picked up a flag someone had dropped. For me, it was unacceptable for our flag to be lying on the ground. That flag hung for many years in my village — my native Feskivka, Ukraine, — on the church, and later at our home. Eventually, when the flag had faded from the sun, I replaced it with a new one I brought back from the front.
I wore an embroidered shirt every day before it became mainstream — it was my sincere gesture, and I truly loved and was inspired by our heritage. But patriotism is not about appearances. It’s not about embroidered shirts or waving flags. It’s about what’s inside — about having a Ukrainian heart. In our 3rd Assault Brigade, there are people with such hearts. Everyone is strong, everyone is incredible, each with their own story and strong motivation. Some fought with a prosthetic limb, and many consciously returned from abroad, where they had lived for many years, to defend Ukraine. There are many who left their jobs and businesses, and a comfortable life to sleep in a trench somewhere in the woods. Why? Because they have the motivation and understanding of what and for whom we are fighting. I wish more people understood this.”
On Popularity and the 'TV Chef'
We asked if people recognized the military man “Culinary” as “that same TV chef.”
“Yeah, that happened a bit, even the guys in the brigade recognized me: ‘Oh, I saw you on TV,’ someone would say, ‘My wife was rooting for you,'” Yaroslav smiles.
“So many years have passed, I’m not as young and handsome as I used to be (he laughs), but people still recognize me to this day. We were in Kherson Oblast, Ukraine, in the Zaporizhzhia direction, near Avdiivka, and twice near Bakhmut, Ukraine — and there was always someone who would say, ‘Oh, aren’t you Yaroslav from MasterChef?’ It’s amazing how people remember,” he laughs.
Currently, Yaroslav is a senior soldier in the supply platoon, and his position is senior cook. His call sign is “Culinary,” because what else could it be? They feed our soldiers — the First Assault Battalion of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade.
They provide meals for the troops at the front and those training at the ranges.
“What’s the largest number of soldiers you’ve had to feed at once? There were times when the whole brigade was together at the training ground — we prepared two thousand portions for everyone, three times a day.”
“Breakfast, lunch, and dinner for two thousand people — the work was intense!…
Cooking wasn’t exactly my ‘love at first sight’; it was more of a ‘through thorns to the stars’ kind of journey,” Yaroslav laughs. “But now I can’t imagine myself without it. I wish I could do more and help the guys with their tasks, but unfortunately, my health doesn’t allow it.”
On the 'Menu' at War and Extreme Cooking
“Nowadays, we use a bit of field kitchen and a few more modern devices,” the man shares. “All this is to feed our soldiers three times a day with quality, hearty, and delicious meals!”
Yaroslav only cooked according to the “official” menu for maybe one day — the guys didn’t like it, so he decided to do things his way. Once they reached the hot zones, he began experimenting, essentially doing what he does best
They order various spices — ones you might not even find in all the capital’s cafes and restaurants. The brigade provided some equipment and pooled their salaries to buy more: ovens, stoves, pots, and even food processors. Yaroslav’s friends who work in the culinary field also chipped in — helping with whatever they could.
“First and foremost, the food needs to be caloric — the guys love borscht, mashed potatoes with a cutlet — for them, it’s a kind of ‘therapy’ with familiar food from home. There were times when the guys came back after a week on the front lines, in the trenches, and our borscht was truly therapeutic for them — it helped them regain strength and reminded them of home, where they ate this borscht…
I’ve learned to make do with our products and what we receive — sometimes the guys are pleasantly surprised by how we turn a simple and modest set of ingredients into something interesting and tasty. They’ve often said, ‘We never thought ordinary pearl barley porridge, which we hated as kids, could be this good — well-cooked, seasoned, with butter and spices.'”
Yaroslav makes carbonara pasta when the ingredients are available and sometimes treats the guys to ribs. They even have a pastry shop — Mrs. Lidiya bakes delicious pies, casseroles, cheesecakes, crepes, and even pizza!
“What are the most extreme conditions you’ve had to cook in? I remember — at the start of the war. Kyiv. Three in the morning. I hear something big land right nearby. I wake the guys, saying — do you hear that? It’s probably over for us. And they tell me, ‘Go back to sleep, we have to get up in an hour to cook porridge,'” he laughs. “Now it’s something we can laugh about, but back then, it wasn’t funny at all…
Once, while we were in the Bakhmut direction, near Chasiv Yar, Ukraine, I went outside early in the morning and saw a rocket had landed in our yard. I automatically picked it up and then thought — what am I doing? What if it explodes?! I carefully put the ‘find’ down, looked it over, and realized it was the casing of a fired cluster munition they had been hitting us with…
There’s been a lot — we’ve learned to recognize by ear what’s coming and where it’s going because, despite the shelling, we still have to cook porridge for the guys,” he smiles.
“That’s how we live… A lot has happened, but I’ve never regretted being here with these people. Support the military, and join our ranks, because defending the Motherland is everyone’s business! We have only one Ukraine…
I dream that when victorious peace comes, I’ll travel all over it — visit at least every regional center. And everywhere, I’ll help rebuild our Mother Ukraine!”
