Four years ago, Dubai-based entrepreneur Evelin Novikova decided to tap into the UAE’s growing vegan community, and launched her dessert brand Raw Love Vegan. Her sweet treats, free from dairy, gluten, eggs and refine sugar, soon found a fan base, and Novikova found herself not only catering to a high demand, but also starting workshops where she shares her secret plant-based ingredients. As she prepares to expand her brand to include savoury products, she spoke to Gulf News tabloid! about turning vegan, how sweets can be healthy and harmless treats, and the most important ingredient in her business.
Have you been vegan all your life?
I stopped eating meat nine years ago and went full vegan five years ago. I felt wonderful after stopping meat consumption, so I wanted to improve to feel even lighter, happier and energised. So, I looked into vegan lifestyle and made a transition. It’s incredible how many choices, options, and ingredients are available to us and the way we can combine it all together to eat delicious nutritional meals. For me, the taste and the presentation are very important and I constantly improve which mixture works best together.
When was the brand Raw Love Vegan born?
Raw Love Vegan was born in 2014 in Dubai after I turned vegan in 2013. I was craving healthy sweets. So, as a foodie, from an early age I started to experiment with raw vegan ingredients. The raw vegan sweets came out tasting super delicious and looked amazing, so the entrepreneur in me made a decision to make them for customers. I also created a raw vegan workshop where I teach people how to create and combine savoury foods and sweets.
I add constantly new flavours, designs and I also custom make them for birthdays, weddings, kids birthdays (special shapes) and for special occasions.
How has the reception been?
Many people are happy to have found my brand as they are keen to eat healthier sweets, or they are looking for gluten free and dairy free cakes. The customers also compliments the way my cakes look and taste and it feels wonderful when customers are happy and satisfied.
People really know what they want and I also offer custom options as well, I substitute ingredients when they have got allergies for different nuts for example.
Is it hard to make a non-vegan person taste your food?
When I meet a non-vegan person, I usually show them pictures of my sweets and they are immediately in love and eager to try something new what they have never tasted before.
How long does it take you to make, for example, a cake; and what would you say is your secret ingredient?
Making the cake takes approximately 30 minutes, then the settling process is usually overnight [which takes] six to eight hours and then decoration takes another 30 minutes. My secret ingredient has always been love when I create food, which also explains the name choice. When creating and making food, we have to feel happy, joyous, positive and love what we do.
What inspires you to create particular desserts? Is it hard to mix tastes together?
It’s interesting to create raw vegan cakes what is inspired by traditional desserts, but without dairy, gluten or processed sugars. To mix and combine ingredients together is the most inspiring, as I think the process through which tastes fits with what ingredients and how to bring also out each ingredients characteristics and give a unique experience to a customer by eating a raw vegan sweet.
What is your favourite dessert from all your selection?
I really love the Tiramisu cake, lime and avocado cake, brownies and coffee doughnuts.
You only cater to orders at the moment. Is there any chance we will see your shop in the near future?
Absolutely, I am looking for opportunities to grow my brand and expand into the savoury section as well.
— Aseyat Pushchenko is an intern at Gulf News.
