Omsk Food Blogger Shares Her Journey to Success

34-year-old Omsk native Daria Seliverstova gained nationwide fame as a food blogger. In short videos, she shows how to prepare simple and tasty dishes that are easy to replicate at home. Besides blogging, she runs her own canteen «YEDAsha» — it«s in this kitchen that most of her recipes are born. In videos, the blogger appears in her signature pink uniform and apron, and the process looks natural and homey.

In just one year of social media activity, Daria has gathered almost two million followers across all platforms. The most — on Instagram*, where she now has about 1.1 million fans. How she managed to build such an audience and develop her business — in the material by NGS55.RU correspondent Anna Ivanina.

«Recipes Had to Be Sought Out Piece by Piece»

The businesswoman met us in her small office, located in the canteen premises near the entrance. She almost immediately suggested moving to the kitchen so we could fully immerse ourselves in the work atmosphere. Specifically for us, the blogger prepared her signature recipe — chicken breast under a cheese cap.

Little Dasha grew up in a very ordinary family: her father worked as a bricklayer, her mother — as a flight attendant and later an administrator. She started cooking early: when her mother was away on shifts, the girl would come home alone and make pizza, chebureki, or cook soups.

The chef says the love for the kitchen is in her genes: her aunt was a professional cook, and her mother always cooked so deliciously that all her recipes were written down in a home cookbook. In the canteen, she still keeps that very worn notebook where her mother once wrote recipes by hand. When the girl grew up, she started writing them down herself — the first was solyanka (a hearty Russian soup).

«Back then, there was no internet, and recipes had to be sought out literally piece by piece. I have a childhood friend, Valentina — we were constantly cooking something together. We still keep in touch, but now the pace of life is different: everyone has family, work,» the chef recalls with a smile.

There was a large family library of cookbooks at home — from professional to home collections. It was from these that the family drew inspiration.

«She Said Nothing Would Come of Me»

In her teenage years, she faced bullying at school. According to her, the source of aggression came not only from classmates but also from the homeroom teacher. The girl loved experimenting with makeup and clothes, wasn«t afraid to stand out — and this irritated those around her.

«They didn»t like me, and the teacher made me wash off my makeup and said that nothing would come of me. She could call me names in front of everyone and kept repeating that I «didn»t love my parents.« My mother was constantly called to school. It was real bullying from an adult, and the kids picked up on it. An atmosphere of tension was constantly felt in the class.»

Despite the pressure, she tried to remain cheerful. However, as an adult, she realized: inside, the mindset «I have to prove to everyone that I can» had still taken root.

«It was a need of the child psyche — to show what I had achieved, what car I drive, what business I have. Six months ago, I walked into the canteen and saw all my teachers at the tables. I approached, greeted them — and they didn»t even recognize me. I gave my maiden name, Lukyanchikova. That«s when their eyes widened.»

Exactly that school feeling of injustice became the engine of her ambitions. She wants to achieve more — so that children understand: striving for better is possible and necessary, even if there«s hate around.

Being a Cook — Menial Labor?

Daria completed 9 grades, after which she entered a technical college to become an accountant. However, she never worked a day in the profession — as a teenager, she didn«t know what she wanted and chose the direction without thinking.

«My mother told me she saw me as a cook. To be honest, it seemed like menial labor to me back then. I thought: »Well, what kind of cook am I? What will I do there?« Daria recalls. »I had a stereotype in my head: a cook — that«s dirt, unsanitary conditions, everything lying on the floor… Such societal opinion really haunted me then.»

She started her career in food service as a waitress in a small cafe. It was there that she met her future husband Sergei, who is 11 years older and already held a good position in management at the time. Later, the food blogger changed jobs and worked as a cook in a private kindergarten, and before opening her own business, she worked for 5 years on the serving line in a canteen of a commercial organization. It was there that the management noticed her and suggested she take a risk and start her own business.

«You know, even when I worked as an employee in food service, I brought food with me, and that set me apart from all the staff. I even treated colleagues to this food, and they suggested trying to open a business. We knew that organization, were well acquainted with them, and agreed. We had almost no money, only a small capital, because my husband was earning well at the time.»

When the couple decided to open the first canteen, they continued to feed the company«s employees.

«I Couldn»t Buy My Son Warm Clothes«

The official opening of the canteen was in 2020, right at the height of the pandemic. In the first year, Daria and her husband literally kept the business going on sheer enthusiasm: the canteen continued to feed the employees of that organization they collaborated with, but the first canteen location — the DOSAAF building near Leningradsky Bridge — was both cramped and economically unprofitable — a small kitchen and low foot traffic ate up the money.

«Sometimes it got to the point where I paid the employees» salaries, and only 300 rubles (about $3 at current rates) remained on my card. It was really very difficult. That year, for the first time, we didn«t go to the sea, and in winter, I couldn»t buy my son warm clothes — all the money went into the business, we had to borrow from relatives.«

It was during this period, when she and her husband were in debt and living very frugally, that Daria continued to feed that company«s employees — it was important for the project»s reputation and survival, but financially — extremely hard. She still talks about how they risked everything for the business.

«We used to feed them (the company»s employees) when we just opened the canteen. I«m still proud that we weren»t afraid to start the business, even though we understood nothing. It was just a leap into the unknown and a huge investment of money. We were in debt, for us these were colossal sums. We rented a ready-made premises with equipment and started feeding that organization. We cooked fresh food and delivered it, gradually organizing and streamlining the process.«

When the situation finally stabilized, the entrepreneurs decided to move — the new, more spacious location on Kazakhstanskaya Street changed everything: foot traffic increased, sales started, space for growth and experiments appeared. It was there that Daria started filming her first videos — small sketches about the canteen«s daily life, which later became an important part of her communication with the audience and helped the business reach a new level.

«I didn»t even think about blogging at first — I posted photos and short videos from my life, regular lifestyle. But at some point, I started posting more stories on Instagram*, and suddenly they started gaining traction. People wrote in direct messages, subscribed, and commented. Then I realized that I had found the very format that the audience really needed. I always try to keep a close connection with followers — and I«m sure that»s what allowed me to grow. People come not for recipes, but for the person.«

In 2025, the canteen settled on Melnichnaya Street, in a more convenient and high-traffic location. The canteen format was a conscious choice: she wants to be closer to people and considers herself a people«s blogger.

«My canteen is my soul. We have restaurants where you can leave tens of thousands at a time. I don»t want that. I want people to come for a tasty lunch at an affordable price.«

On weekdays, the canteen is visited by laborers and factory workers, on weekends — families with children.

«A man comes for lunch and can eat his fill for the whole day for 300 rubles (about $3 at current rates), and then take something to go. Then on weekends, he brings friends or family. That»s how revenue builds up. So it«s not a restaurant, but a canteen.»

Besides the canteen, Daria sells cookbooks, but the main income comes from the business. «I earn well — I can afford a lot and don»t deny myself anything.«

«I Drew the Golden Ticket»

The food blog has existed for almost a year and a half, but the real breakthrough happened last autumn: short Reels started slowly hitting the top, and at one point, a simple video where Daria makes cutlets with tomatoes and cheese made her popular.

The canteen owner recalls that moment with a broad smile: «That evening I told my husband: »I«ll wake up a star tomorrow» — and that«s what happened:» in the morning, her direct messages were flooded, and her audience sharply grew from 500 followers to 50 thousand.

The success affected not only the numbers but also the format. The cook switched from a staged style to a conversational one, started showing the cooking process and family behind-the-scenes more often — viewers liked the sincerity. Instead of polished gloss, live, warm content came: not only recipes but people became the main reason for subscribing to the blog.

Despite the new status, no luxury was added at home: «My viewers see that I live in an ordinary apartment.» All earned funds go back into the project: the family«s income is reinvested in the kitchen and canteen development. Food service requires serious investments, which one location can»t always recoup — and the blog helped with that, as if she «drew the golden ticket.»

At first, close ones were skeptical about the blog: her husband, parents, and friends didn«t understand why these videos were needed and why Dasha was always running around with her phone. But when the first warm responses from followers came, the doubts dissipated — relatives started appearing on camera at the audience»s request, and her husband and son became part of the story that viewers loved so much.

«They subscribe not to recipes, they subscribe to the person. That»s 100%.«

Simplicity, openness, and humanity became the qualities that made the channel in demand and allowed transforming a hobby into a working tool that develops the family business.

Hate on Social Media

Criticism is an integral part of life, but the businesswoman learned to benefit from it. Previously, negativity was met with hostility, but over time, worries were replaced by a working approach.

«When I read hate, it really irritated me. Constant remarks from different people online were taken as a personal attack. But over time, I understood: people don»t write just like that. It«s like stepping out of your comfort zone — unpleasant at first, but then you start working more correctly.»

Publicity gave a powerful push to professional growth: the blog not only exposed weak spots but also forced her to fix them.

«Thanks to the blog, our kitchen took a huge step forward — you could say we improved by a hundred, even a thousand percent. Everything that used to cause dissatisfaction, we gradually brought to perfection, and all this became possible thanks to my publicity.»

Along with the growth of the audience, new threats appeared: hundreds of fake accounts post videos in her name. This causes concern — the blogger fears leaks of personal materials and her cookbook.

There is also a main hater. One follower sends insults in direct messages daily, sometimes targeting the family. Daria blocked the main account, but the hater created a new one.

«I don»t know what«s in her head, and it makes me uneasy,» she admits.

Negativity spills into real life: once she found her car«s tires slashed. Now she always carries a self-defense spray, but states she doesn»t intend to use it.

What«s Next for »YEDAsha«?

The plans include business expansion. Currently, the canteen is located on the Left Bank in the Kirovsky District of Omsk. The drive from the center takes about 30 minutes by car. The family intends to open another location in the city center next August.

Moving to the center would allow fully capturing the market: she is confident in the quality of her kitchen and isn«t shy to say so. And the blog taught the team to work openly — they don»t hide processes and follow norms, with client safety always coming first.

Recently, the cook launched production of her own semi-finished products and dreams that their products will end up on every family«s table.

«Canteens are a completely different business: they require strict control, and opening franchises often means losing yourself. We chose the path of semi-finished products — they can be made here, under my supervision, and sent further. Of course, we could distribute products through chains — that»s easier, but for me, the ideal is own brand stores: come to my shop and feel our kitchen, touch my energy. The reputation of someone else«s place shouldn»t fall on me — I«m ready to answer for my own mistakes.»

* Instagram (an extremist organization banned in Russia).