Hutsulcoffee: Brewing New Beginnings

When the war broke out, Yulia and her family were in neighboring Poland. Immediately, from the first day of the terrible events in Ukraine, they began to help others who were trying to find shelter in Poland. At first, relatives and friends came to them. Soon it became clear that the flow of people was growing and more resources were needed to organize help. So, together with Polish citizens, Yulia and her husband opened a charitable organization, which provided assistance to Ukrainians in finding housing, jobs, language courses and other needs while settling in Poland.

Time after time, the realization came that war was nearby.

“We wanted to live in as safe a place as possible. We thought about the future of our children,” Yulia recalls. “When we became aware of a special support program for Ukrainians in Canada, we began to explore the possibilities of moving.”

Through Facebook, Yulia’s family found a support group for Ukrainians in London, Ontario. Thus began a fruitful cooperation and new opportunity. In September 2022, Yulia and her family arrived in London - and welcoming Canadians helped them find a host family and settle in their new city.

“We received everything we needed and even more,” says Yulia with great gratitude. “For two months we lived with the host-family. Our adaptation was easy and pleasant. My son and daughter (ages seven and four respectively), felt at home quickly in the new country”.

Even before moving to Canada, Yulia was actively looking for a job, going through interviews, getting rejection after rejection, but she didn't give up.

“I realized that each interview makes me stronger - my language level improved and I felt more confident when interviewing with each new employer,” Yulia recalls.

After just three weeks in Canada, Yulia was invited to interview in London (Ontario) and soon received a job offer. She worked as a marketing specialist for 1.5 years, until her family decided to start their own coffee roasting business. In Poland, Yulia's husband had worked in the online coffee shop industry, and even earlier in Ukraine the family had several businesses, so now they brought their entrepreneurial spirit to Canada.

“We were inspired to create a special atmosphere for enjoying coffee. Aroma, coziness, pleasure… Ukrainian soulfulness in Canada,” smiles Yulia.

This is how their own family brand Hutsulcoffee came into being, with a coffee house in London, Ontario.

“When we came to Canada we realized that life is quite unpredictable. No one knows what will happen next, where we will end up, whether there will be a war anywhere. We had long dreamed of a coffee business and suddenly decided that if not now, when?” Yulia says.

Yulia's family roasts coffee according to Ukrainian tradition, which makes Hutsulcoffee the first Ukrainian coffee in Canada.

Since April this year they have sold more than 1 ton of coffee beans and they ship their coffee all over Canada and the USA. Organic tea is also available at Yulia's family brand store.

“Our main goal is to open our own roaster space with packing stations, sharing our experience to help anyone who wants to collaborate with us or start their own business,” Yulia shares.

They recently visited a fundraiser for the Ukrainian Grassroots community in Waterloo Region and donated a wonderful coffee basket as a gift for a raffle draw.

The experience of Yulia and her family is inspiring and shows that even in difficult times, when you really want and believe in your dream, and put your heart into it, you can achieve your goal!