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New store offers food, products from around the globe

 

COLUMBUS–European Market, a new store featuring foods and products from over 25 countries, recently opened at 155 W. Mills St. in the Columbus Commons.

 

European Market is owned and operated by Natalia Sokil of Tryon. She also has a location in Arden, N.C.

 

Sokil, a self-taught chef originally from Ukraine, opened her first store in Tennessee in 1999 after working several years in the restaurant business and decided she would rather work for herself. 

 

“The idea for the store came from me wanting to be able to buy my favorite products and foods that my family and I enjoyed closer to home,” Sokil says. “At the time, I had to drive all the way to Atlanta. Since then, we’ve continued to grow.”

 

The European Market stocks chocolates from England, bread from Germany, butter from Switzerland and a variety of homemade foods prepared by Sokil herself. She makes homemade cabbage rolls, pierogies, bulochki, chebureki and blintzes. Future plans include opening a space nearby where she can prepare her specialties and customers can order and pick them up fresh. 

 

“I began by learning to cook borscht, one of my favorites, when I got married and found that I liked cooking,” says Sokil. “It was trial and error at first. I was able to perfect my recipes, and they have proved to be very popular with our customers, especially my cabbage rolls and pierogies. Customers can sign up for a text message alert that tells them when I’m cooking.”

 

While the market carries an array of food products, it also carries products from Atomy, a Korean-based company. One such product is HemoHim, a popular immune system booster not commonly found on store shelves in the U.S. 

 

European Market is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, except for Thursday when they close at 6:30 p.m. To sign up for Sokil’s text message alerts, text (864) 590-6760.