In Conversation with Queen Vic Sweets & Juice

In Conversation with Queen Vic Sweets & Juice

At Queen Vic Sweets & Juice, family is the heart of the business. Asma and Sema work alongside their mother Narges, transforming their first family venture into a vibrant destination for nostalgic candies and fresh, handcrafted fruit juices.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and Queen Vic Sweets?  

Sema: I’m sister number 4.  My sisters and I, all help out at Queen Vic Sweets and Queen Vic Juice run by our beautiful mum Narges. She and my father fled Afghanistan with the hopes of creating a better future for their children. We have now called Melbourne home for over a decade. Despite the numerous challenges they have faced, she is now a proud owner and operator of Queen Vic Sweets and Juice. We all pride ourselves on being a powerful mother-daughter team!

What makes your products unique? 

Asma: At Queen Vic Sweets there is something for everyone. Our regular customers come for sweet treats they’ve grown up with, tourists come for Australian products such as our handmade nougat or slow-cooked Turkish delight, and our baklava is for everyone! It’s all about sweetening the days of our customers. At our juice bar, we focus on creating a refreshing and healthy experience for all our customers through our commitment to using the highest quality Australian produce.

Sema: We definitely have a few bestselling juices and smoothies, but the Energiser is our top seller! What makes Queen Vic Juice unique is that you can personalise your drinks by choosing and adding your own fruits and vegetables to create exactly what you’d like.

What’s Valentine’s Day like for you?  

Sema: At Queen Vic Sweets, every day feels like Valentine’s day! Our main love language is gift giving, a trait that our mother instilled in us from a very young age. At Queen Vic Sweets, the options for personlising gifts for your loved ones are endless – from lollies and chocolates to freshly baked baklava.

Are there any memorable moments or stories from your time at the market? 

Asma: A memorable aspect for all of us is working as a mother-daughter team. Running a business was an unfamiliar experience, and we are relatively new in this space, but we’re loving the journey. For mum in particular, it provides the opportunity to be financially independent and a place to learn new skills and interact with people from all walks of life. 

Over the past year, we’ve met other traders who have been here for generations, which is something we aspire to as well. We would love to support mum, grow the business, and ultimately have myself or even my youngest sister take her place, just like many other businesses have done. Being able to learn from other traders’ experiences has been very insightful, and we feel really welcomed into the community. When we’ve been unsure about things, we’ve known we can lean on our neighbours in the market. 

Can you describe a special juice that represents the spirit of Queen Victoria Market? 

Sema: “Our best-selling at the market is the Revitalizer, a refreshing blend of locally-sourced Australian fruits, which has pineapple, rockmelon, watermelon and tangy orange. The lively, zesty burst of orange captures the energetic, fresh essence of the market. Offering a taste that’s as vibrant as the atmosphere.” 

What do you enjoy most about being a trader at Queen Victoria Market, especially during special occasions like Valentine’s Day? 

Sema: There is no single experience that stands out – it’s a collective of the stories we share, the cultures we exchange, and the memories we make along the way. It’s also the sense of belonging to a community we truly enjoy, learning from other traders. However, if I had to highlight one thing, it’d be showing up and working with Mum and spending time with my sisters.

What do you think are some creative or meaningful ways to show appreciation for Valentine’s Day beyond gifts? 

Sema: There are many ways to show your appreciation, but prioritising your connections with loved ones is key. Whether it’s creating thoughtful gifts or simply making time for them – these gestures go a long way.

Asma: Sometimes the simplest gift is just showing up and giving your time, attention, and support. For example, today, my sisters and I could have been elsewhere, as we all have other jobs, but we decided to show up and support mum. She’s a bit shy, but we’re here to tell her story on her behalf.

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