London-based Viltė Fuller, who grew up in the United Kingdom, introduced British consumers to the taste of kvass, or Gira in Lithuanian, about a month ago. She says she had noticed how popular kefir had become and was curious whether the drink she remembered from childhood summers in Lithuania could enjoy similar success.
“For me, Lithuanian summers mean kvass, kefir and fishing in Plateliai,” says Viltė, who named her brand after her Siberian cat, Spooky.
Viltė moved to Kent in the UK with her mother, British stepfather and younger brother when she was just seven years old.
“In Kent, where I grew up, Eastern Europeans were not especially liked within the community. For many years, I was ashamed of my background. We were seen as Eastern Europeans who had come to take British jobs or as criminals. Those labels were pushed by Britain’s right-wing media,” the Lithuanian entrepreneur told LRT.lt.
Viltė chose Glasgow for her studies and later moved to London to pursue a career as an artist. According to her, growing older and leaving Kent behind helped her become increasingly proud of her Lithuanian identity.
