A Ukrainian couple are bringing their love of all things sushi to Moray with their new delivery service.
Daria Prychymlieieva and Andrii Pavlov founded their business SushiBoom in January – and it has proved a huge hit ever since.
After realising there was a gap in the market for sushi locally, they meticulously planned their takeaway and delivery service.
This isn’t, however, their first business. The pair met when Daria worked for Andrii’s flower service in Ukraine.
They fell in love, and have been business partners ever since.
And the now married couple, who are based from their home kitchen in Buckie, call SushiBoom their ‘partner project’.
They hope to eventually move out out of the kitchen and into an Elgin unit.
From Odessa to Buckie
The couple met in Odessa, a “big tourist city”, where Andrii’s first business venture was selling flowers to visitors in restaurants and nightclubs.
Among those who joined his team of sellers was Daria. She later fell in love with Andrii, and the pair soon began to run the business together as partners.
Daria and Andrii had to leave their home in August 2022 due to the war in Ukraine.
“When we came to Scotland, we were thinking about what we could open here,” Daria, 28, said.
And the idea that came to the couple was sushi, which is apparently hugely popular back in Ukraine.
“We thought about sushi because before, in Ukraine, I worked in a sushi bar,” she said.
“There were a lot of popular sushi kitchens there.”
Daria added that making sushi was always her hobby, but now, with their business, it’s become something more.
‘We’re a good team’
“We really love what we do,” she said.
“For now, the business is very small and we just work and prepare everything together.
“We’re a good team. And when people leave us good feedback, it makes us very happy.”
Andrii, 32, added that the pair hope to open up an Elgin sushi shop in the future.
He said: “We don’t know how long this will be in the future, but we hope to open a shop in Elgin.
“We’ve had feedback on Instagram and Facebook and people really like the sushi.
“We have had a lot of Ukrainian and Scottish people, as well as people from different countries like Latvia and Portugal, try our food because it’s something new in Moray.
“When we checked big cities, there wasn’t a lot of sushi.
“We have a lot of different kinds – cold, fried and baked.”
Daria said there are an increasing number of Ukrainians living in the area – and they are turning to their sushi business.
She said they are so used to there being dozens of sushi kitchens in Ukraine and their business now gives Ukrainians somewhere to go for their sushi fix.
Those hoping to order sushi can send them a message with their order.
They currently deliver to Elgin, Lossiemouth and Buckie, though, people can also pick up the sushi from their Buckie home kitchen upon request.
‘Scotland gave us the chance to start a new life’
Daria noted that life in Buckie is ‘very different’ from the busy city life they left in Ukraine.
However, the pair are thankful they are safe and are looking forward to hopefully reuniting soon with their family who remain in Odessa.
Daria said: “In our country there is a war, but here is a safe place for us.
“Scotland gave us a chance to start a new life.
“Of course, I would like to go back to my home.
“But I understand here it’s better for me now because I’m safe.
“My family and my husband’s family continue to live in Ukraine.
“We just hope the war finishes and we hope for our families to be safe.”
A marriage made in Elgin
Last year, Daria and Andrii were able to get married in Elgin.
Unfortunately, as their family remain in Ukraine, they could only call them via Facetime during the ceremony.
“It was a very emotional day for us,” Daria said.
“In Ukraine, a wedding day is a very big day.
“We hope when the war finishes, we can go back to Ukraine and have a wedding with our families.”
Conversation