Halil Aydın came to Ukraine in the 2000s with his brother Onur. Among the various businesses the brothers ran was a Turkish food store. In the same years, Ukrainians started travelling to Turkey on holiday, and when they returned, they looked for ayran in the shops. At first, Khalil and Onur imported dairy products from their homeland, and later decided to open their own production.
Khalil Aydin, co-founder of Aryaka and ONUR TM, talks about the popularity of ayran, treats on Khreshchatyk and plans for market development.
- Khalil, please tell us how long ONUR TM has been on the market and how did you start?
We have been on the Ukrainian market for nine years. We produce fermented milk products. We created this brand from scratch and are still developing it. ONUR TM is a Turkish brand, but it was born in Ukraine.
A long time ago, we had a leather processing business and a small Turkish food store. And at some point, our customers started asking about ayran very often, because thousands of Ukrainians started travelling to Turkey on holiday. At first, we imported ayran, and then my brother and I did the maths and decided to produce it ourselves.
We built a workshop, brought equipment and specialists from Turkey, worked out the processes and made the first batch of 500 litres of ayran. At the time, we did not understand who to sell it to. Eventually, we sold it to stores and gradually expanded our distribution network. And today we barely have enough for 50 tonnes.
- How do you explain the popularity of ayran in Ukraine?
I think it's quite simple. We work with Ukrainian milk, and when we started, we chose the best in terms of quality and taste - it was the most expensive on the market. We still work with these suppliers. This is a pure, natural product that works best through word of mouth - we don't advertise at all. Taste, quality and our consumers speak for us.
Again, Ukrainians go to Turkey and learn what ayran is there. Then they look for it in Ukraine. And when they find ours, they stick with it. Because the taste is the same, we haven't adapted anything.
In addition, shawarma is very popular in Ukraine. We have seen that soda is often offered as a drink, but it is neither healthy nor tasty. Ayran is a perfect match for such dishes, so today ONUR TM is available in almost every shawarma restaurant.
- How do you react to the emergence of ayran in the assortment of your colleagues on the market?
We definitely try it, we do our own expertise. But, you know, we are all friends. We do not compete with each other because we produce original Turkish products.
- You have a certain line of products: ayran, yoghurts, cottage cheese, kefir. Are you planning something new?
We have temporarily stopped producing kashar because specialists do not want to go to Ukraine now. Kefir is also on hold - with our approach, it turns out to be very expensive: a litre bottle cost about 120 hryvnias, while our colleagues' cost about 60. This is a significant difference.
But, to be honest, the demand for ayran is constantly growing, so we have given these production lines to it.
We now produce classic ayran and mint in different volumes, classic Turkish yoghurt and have recently launched jadzhik, a fermented milk drink with basil, cucumber and garlic. Ceviche is very popular in Turkey, and we want to make it the same in Ukraine.
- Do you adapt your tastes to the Ukrainian consumer?
Our principled position is to do things the way they are done in Turkey. Our consumers love ayran and know its taste, so we don't change anything. Of course, there is an allowance for the taste of milk, which depends on the animal feed. If the taste changes slightly, our customers let us know immediately.
- How has the war affected your company's operations? And do you have any plans to expand production?
In February 2022, we stopped for about a month because our main customers - Ukrainian national chains - also partially suspended their operations. We agreed that as soon as they resumed, we would come back with them. Our entire team, including the management, stayed in Ukraine and waited for the start.
In general, ONUR TM is constantly growing - we are completing workshops and buying new equipment. In three and a half years, we have fully restored pre-war volumes and even exceeded them, because there is always a shortage of goods.
- Your company regularly participates in tasting competitions, and every time your products win the Grand Prix. Why do you do this and what does it mean to you?
We make very high quality products and want as many people as possible to try them. You know, there are two types of cars - a conventional Lanos and a Mercedes. Our product is a Mercedes. And participation in the Grand Prix competition is proof of our quality.
At the very beginning, we used to stand with the team on Khreshchatyk in the evening when there were traffic jams. We treated people to ayran: we offered it to passers-by and drivers. Because once a person tastes it, that's it, they are your customer.
Today, our ayran is known to everyone and everywhere - both the clients of Puzata Khata and diplomats in embassies.
Among the results of the competition, I can share the fact that we will cooperate with the network METRO Cash & Carry- We will produce ayran under their own brand name. They chose us based on the results of the competition.
- And finally: what does ONUR mean?
This is the name of my brother, with whom we co-founded Aryaka and ONUR TM. Onur means "honour" in Turkish.
She is a journalist: Daria Spasova