For the first time, in
2019
,
he chose to do a work internship in France
.
With great enthusiasm, he packed his suitcases and said goodbye to his loved ones, in order to live seven months in
Europe
.
What she did not imagine was that
that experience would mean a before and after in her life
.
Impressed with the European lifestyle and its incredible destinations, she returned to
Argentina
with an idea in mind:
to migrate to Europe with her family
, according to her words.
“I convinced my sister and shortly after,
we began to plan our departure to Spain
.
We knew it was going to be a unique experience,” says Albana Martina Obaj Nazar in an interview with
Clarín
.
The
25-year
-old girl - originally from the
Province of Santiago del Estero
-
emigrated to Spain in June 2021
, with the aim of achieving greater economic stability, enjoying a better quality of life and getting to know new places.
Video
The family created a unique gastronomic establishment in the area.
The story of a passion: pastry
The protagonist of this story was born in the city of Santiago del Estero,
where she made her most precious memories
.
Since she was little, she was immersed in the world of gastronomy, because
she comes from a family of
gastronomic
entrepreneurs .
After finishing high school, in
2018
, she began her Professional Pastry career at
“Celia”, a gastronomic teaching foundation located in the Province of Córdoba
.
However, she preferred to travel twice a week to the city of Córdoba, in order to
attend classes and return to her home
.
Martina working in the pastry shop in Valencia, Spain.
Photo: @martuobaj, Instagram.
“In parallel,
we created an artisanal pastry business
with my sister, Agustina.
We set up a service room in the patio of our house, where we produced the cakes.
Thus,
“Martinica Patisserie”
began to take shape.
It involved a huge effort, but it was worth it
,” mentions the young entrepreneur.
Little by little, they were receiving new clients and growing more and more.
After a while, in
2019
, Martina set out to acquire new experience abroad, in order to specialize in the pastry industry and thus be able to materialize her greatest dream:
setting up her own cafeteria.
Therefore, once she completed her studies, she was hired to do a
seven-month
internship in Ygrande, a small French commune.
Martina with her sister Agustina in Valencia, Spain.
Photo: @martuobaj, Instagram.
“I was lucky that
I got to work in a castle surrounded by nature, a wonderful place
.
The idea was to reinforce my knowledge acquired in
Argentina
and learn new recipes.
That opportunity was a before and after in my life
,” the Santiago native happily states.
The young woman
was fascinated with Europe and encouraged her loved ones to emigrate to the Iberian nation
with her.
Consequently,
in June 2021
, she found herself at the airport holding on tightly to her suitcases, which
held a lifetime's worth of memories
.
Martina enjoying her trip to Europe.
Photo: @martuobaj, Instagram.
“It was difficult at first,
we moved with Agustina to Valencia
and we were alone for three months.
We missed the family a lot, but
we were also experiencing something magical
,” says Martina.
-Why did you choose Valencia as your ideal destination?
-Because we knew that
by having Spanish nationality
,
we could reside, work and study permanently in any country in the
European Union
.
Furthermore, we chose it with the intention of settling in a place where we shared
the same language, a key point in our decision
.
Before arriving in the city of Las Fallas, Martina got a job there through the internet.
"
I was very happy
.
We went with the idea of evaluating the destination to set up our establishment and
we liked it a lot
,” says the young woman.
The beginning of “Martinica Patisserie”
After a few months, their mother arrived to continue this adventure with them.
And together,
they founded “Martinica Patisserie”, in the municipality of Cartarroja
, a few kilometers from the center of Valencia.
“It was very exciting,
we inaugurated it on December 13, 2021, a dream come true
,” Martina expresses with emotion.
Martina in a photo production for "Martinica Patisserie".
Photo: @martuobaj, Instagram.
With the idea of sharing a little piece of their home with their clients,
they produce characteristic poles from Argentina
.
Some of them are:
cornstarch alfajores
,
chocotorta, brownies with dulce de leche
,
croissants and ricotta cake
.
At the same time, they offer other types of products such as
red fruit
cheesecake and
lemon pie
.
In the pastry shop,
Martina is in charge of the production of cakes
, her mother is in charge of the decoration, her sister Agustina
plays the role of barista
and
community manager
for the venture's social networks.
And finally,
her stepfather handles accounting and supplier management
.
“We have been very grateful to have been able to found a family business in
Europe
.
Likewise,
we were improving and receiving more and more clients
.
And as time went by, we became better known in the neighborhood.
This
meant that after two years, we are about to open another 'Martinique'
, something surprising,” explains the Argentine.
The young entrepreneur signing the contract to open her second gastronomic establishment.
Photo: @martuobaj, Instagram.
After a lot of effort and dedication,
the restaurant became a success
and its customers can't wait to visit their new franchise.
Furthermore, Martina
feels grateful for dedicating herself to what she is passionate about
and succeeding in the field with her family.
During his stay in
Spain
, he visited unforgettable destinations.
Some of them were:
Netherlands, France, Italy, England, Morocco and the United States
.
“Immigrating changed my life and that of my loved ones.
We have worked very hard and achieved our goals,” explains the Argentine entrepreneur.
Martina at the door of her new bakery.
Photo: @martuobaj, Instagram.
In the future,
he would love to ship abroad
and have several gastronomic establishments in different parts of the country.
At the same time,
she longs to teach pastry classes
and share her knowledge with others.