Everything began when I started my quest to find my mother a healthier alternative for bread, as she was diagnosed with diabetics. I needed a kind of bread that didn’t contain any chemical additives. After some time, I came to the conclusion that there was a serious shortage of that kind of bread. So, after a lot of research, I began my journey as a breadmaker for my family.

I am Tatev Grigoryan. I was born in 1983, I have 2 children and am currently living in Yerevan. I have graduated from the Armenian National Agrarian University (ANAU). I am an agronomist by profession but have never worked in the field.

During the initial period, I baked bread at home, for my family and friends. Due to popular demand, I started selling these breads in small portions to people who had medical issues and were in need of it. I started baking with different ingredients, including spinach, pumpkin seeds and a number of other vegetables. I am currently interested with experimenting in the production of bread made from whole grain flour with traditional Armenian yeast.What first started as a hobby ended up with a lifestyle, once I got involved in the field of breadmaking. I became eager to learn more about the profession and improve my skills. I came across the announcement of ANAU regarding the Project of “Skills and knowledge development”, and decided to apply for it in order to develop my theoretical and practical skills and get the answers to all my questions. My expectations were met. The most interesting part of the course was the practical part, where we were given the opportunity to prepare chocolates and pastries with the most advanced equipment in the lab. My ultimate goal is to open a business of bread making and call it Erkanq. Despite the fact that the business isn’t officially registered yet, I have already come up with the logotype. The company will be working mainly in Yerevan but will provide delivery services to the other regions. It will be a family business at first, but later on we will need to expand it by hiring more workers. I also plan to open a bakery, where we will be serving our freshly baked breads and other healthy breakfast options. I am currently using the skills learned from the workshop in my business and have already increased the number of my customers, who are in need of such alternative types of bread. My motto is “A whole story from the field to fork”, because the process of breadmaking begins in the  wheat field. The essential wheat used in my bread comes from the fields of Shatvan village, Gegharkunik marz. We get whole-wheat flour with a traditional stone grinder, so we can say that Erkanq’s breads are ecologically clean and healthy.I am really thankful to the Agrarian University that provides unprecedented opportunities to me and many others to acquire new skills and knowledge through its short-term training programs, establish a business of our own and be competitive in the market.