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I was a vet in Ukraine - now I run a bakery in Scotland

Molly ArmstrongBBC Scotland
BBC A woman stands with her arms crossed in front of breadBBC
Vika worked as a vet in Ukraine before fleeing the war and becoming a baker

When Viktoriia Jouja fled the war in Ukraine with her husband and three children, she also turned her back on a career as a veterinary surgeon.

With 17 years' experience in the industry, she was running her own private veterinary clinic in the city of Kherson when Russia invaded in 2022.

The family fled to Scotland and settled in Dumfries and Galloway, where Viktoriia, known as Vika, shared a taste of her homeland with traditional Ukrainian baking.

After finding success selling breads, cakes and pastries on market stalls, she has now opened a bakery in Dumfries.

Vika, her husband and three children, Sasha, now 16, Bogdana, 15, and Amir, 11, moved to Scotland through the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

They were renovating a house in Kherson and making plans for the future when war changed everything.

"For 17 years I worked as a veterinary surgeon in Ukraine and had my own private clinic," she told BBC Scotland News.

"When we came to Scotland, I would have needed further exams and qualifications to continue, so baking became a better option for me."

What began as selling products at farmers' markets across Dumfries and Galloway gradually grew into a full-time business.

An assortment of pastries. A label says "twisted fingers, £1.50"
Vika regularly comes up with new recipes for customers to sample

And for Vika it is rooted in family traditions.

She was raised by her grandmother who taught her many of the baking techniques she still uses today.

"Everything you see here was taught to me by my granny," she said.

"It wasn't easy because Ukrainian-style bread and cakes were unfamiliar to many local people. But when you explain the history behind them, people become interested.

"I want to give local people the chance to try real homemade food."

Shelves full of bread inside a bakery
The bakery has developed a loyal following, particularly among customers looking for gluten-free products and traditional sourdough bread.

Opening a permanent shop had been a long-held ambition.

"I was just walking around with the kids and I saw a poster about a shop available to rent," she said.

"I called to have a chat and after one week I had a contract."

The outside of a bakery. A sign across the top says "Vika's Home Bakery, Ukrainian Traditional Treat".
The bakery can be found on English Street in the town centre of Dumfries

Despite the bakery's success, she says her greatest priority remains her family's future.

"My dream at the moment is to keep safe my family and have a chance to stay in the UK for a while.

"People are very friendly, and very open n Dumfries.

"We are happy with that and we're lucky to have come to Scotland."