Couple Expands Food Market to Bring Ukrainian Cuisine to the Saint John Region

Dmytro Makarov and his wife Olga moved to the Saint John Region six years ago from the Ukraine, after visiting the area and exploring where they wanted to build a life for their family. Today they are expanding their family business, Varenyky.ca – offering homemade Ukrainian dishes and staples through various storefronts throughout the region.  

Dmytro shared how his family had a good life in the Ukraine, but they were looking to the future, and wanted their kids to have strong educational opportunities as they entered university years.

In 2011, the family had their first trip to Saint John and ended up officially moving through the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) in 2018. When exploring New Brunswick cities, Saint John stood out for it’s vibrant uptown and proximity to the ocean, but it was the friendly, welcoming people that really caught the family’s attention.

“Whenever we were exploring places, everyone was so friendly in Saint John,” Dmytro said. “In Costco for example, people will smile and say hello, and that just doesn’t happen where we are from.”

Varenyky.ca is headquartered in Rothesay with a storefront and industrial kitchen. Bringing a piece of the Ukraine to their new home, Dmytro shared how business is growing with not only native Saint John residents as customers, but many newcomers from Eastern Europe, Poland, Romania, and more discovering the business.

Dmytro also operates Kozak Smokehouse out of Varenyky.ca, providing handmade smoked meats and fish.

“When we moved to Canada, we couldn’t find sausages that were like home, so I started to learn and study how to perfect the ones my kids love, and it’s now clear that Canadians like them too,” he said.

Olga has a love for cooking and explained how she is happy to share her Ukrainian roots in her new home.

The market style shop at Varenyky.ca offers semi-finished products that are frozen and ready to be cooked or warmed at home. There is also a small café at their headquarters in Rothesay, where read-made Ukrainian dishes are available to order. 

“We try very hard to ensure that the residents of our region enjoy a variety of delicious Ukrainian cuisine,” Olga said.

And as more residents enjoy the cuisine, Varenyky.ca has expanded to other locations in the region – now with three locations – Rothesay, West and East Saint John. To learn about this growing business, visit: https://www.varenyky.ca/