Mariya Portnova

Viva Maria chocolaterie - founded in 2013 by Mariya Portnova, a young and beginner chocolatier from Uzbekistan.

Maria was born in 1987 in Uzbekistan and since childhood, she has been in love with chocolate and gelato. She started making sweets from sugar, baked cookies and gelato at an early age when she was at home with her sisters.
In 2012, having worked as an hair stylist for 8 years, Maria decided find something new and changed profession.

Not limited to her passion for chocolate, after a trip to Italy, Maria decided to add gelato to her business' menu. Carefully choosing equipment, she settled on Iceteam because of its modern approach and unique Compacta machine. With the support of Maurizio Paci, the original Viva Maria gelateria opened in 2019.

The philisophy behind Viva Maria brand is to use only excellent quality products and create interesting combinations of chocolate and fruit. They often use local organic berries and nuts that grow in natural conditions. The Viva Maria team is constantly learning from the best chefs in the world.

Today, Maria is head of the training center in Tashkent, where she teaches chocolate and gelato with her professional team. She has the support of the Zefir butik, market for pastry chefs.

Instagram: @vmchocolaterie