Ukrainian family in UK hope to highlight products from their ‘incredible’ nation

A Ukrainian family living in the UK hope that their Crowdfunder selling native products will highlight how “incredible” their country is.

Anna, 31, who fled Kyiv, Ukraine, alongside her aunt Nadiia, 56, and mother Nataliia, 55, decided in the spring, that she wanted to create a business which would give people the chance to buy Ukrainian products.

Once she had found out which products she could source, she set up a Crowdfunder on September 30, after settling in Cornwall, in a bid to help Ukrainian businesses.

The £10,000 target will be used to buy stock from businesses in Ukraine to help “introduce our products to the public” and are sold in different sized hampers to provide people with a “gift from Ukraine”.

“We have a lot of products here, so there is something suitable for everyone”, Anna told the PA news agency.

“We have notebooks, we have candles inspired by Ukraine and even socks which have designs from Ukrainian buildings on them and are the most popular.

“We also have a wonderful selection of puzzles. It’s especially important for me because they were made just after the war started and we have three different types of them.

“They are called Bravery, Sunflower and Embrace and they were all inspired and created by Ukrainian artists.”

Being mindful about trying to sell products to a nation of tea lovers, they have made sure to keep caffeine stocks healthy.

“We have a very famous Ukrainian tea. I know it sounds like a joke that we are trying to present Ukrainian teas to the British public, but we create such special kinds of teas, so we hope everyone will love them.”

The family also have a makeshift “cooking department” where they make biscuits.

The biscuits being sold have been made using the family’s grandma’s recipe, with Nadiia taking a food hygiene qualification in the UK in order to replicate and share the treat with others.

“We had to have chocolate because everyone loves a good chocolate,” Nadiia said.

The group also have plans to make thematic t-shirts and shoppers.

Anna added that she “loves every product because it was handpicked by us”.

“Ukrainian businesses now are in complete shock – they cannot operate in a very good manner.

“It’s understandable because for example today Kyiv does not have electricity, but everyone there is so happy to have their products presented on the UK market and we are all very resilient and will try to do everything we can, no matter what.”

The family’s chihuahua Cora has also been a big supporter of their work, regularly posing for promotional material.

She added that it has been “amazing” to see the “positive response” and “good responses” from people all around the UK.

“It’s really very shocking that people who didn’t know us and who didn’t know a lot about our company still want to support us,” she said.

“Every comment makes me feel so happy and when the Crowdfunder round ends we will launch the website.”

I also want to show through this Crowdfunder that my nation is incredible and everything that comes from my country is incredible - it deserves to be presented everywhere

Despite the ongoing war in the country and the need for Ukrainians to “fight every day to be alive”, Anna said that she wants everyone to be able to contribute to the country’s victory.

“I also want to show through this Crowdfunder that my nation is incredible and everything that comes from my country is incredible – it deserves to be presented everywhere.”

More information on the Crowdfunder can be found here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/a-gift-from-ukraine