A British woman named Ellie left the United Kingdom with her husband, Daniel, to open a beverage van in the village of Alvor, in the Algarve. The project, identified as "SIP?", is already up and running and Ellie gave a positive assessment of the initiative through a video posted on the TikTok account @ellieuktoportugal. "We created our business in the Algarve, our beverage van. We actually went ahead with the idea and, you know what, it's been going really well," she stated. However, the British woman considered that opening and running a business in Portugal is difficult, also mentioning the challenges of working with her partner, mixing the personal relationship with professional responsibilities. "We put blood, sweat and tears into this business," Ellie said.
The couple was surprised with a nomination for a best business award in the Algarve, which left Ellie incredulous. The shared images show the van in operation, Daniel working inside it and moments of the couple at different locations. The expectation of "opening soon", expressed in an earlier recording during the preparations, gave way to the account of a business already in operation.
Before making this move, both Daniel and Ellie worked in pharmacies in the United Kingdom. Daniel was a community pharmacist and Ellie was a pharmacy technician. The project represents a break from those careers, with the couple investing all available resources in purchasing the van and setting up in Portugal. For Daniel, the choice also has a personal connection: he grew up in Alvor and left to study Pharmacy, then returned with his wife to develop this business.
In an earlier video, recorded during the preparation phase, Ellie already said she didn't regret the decision, despite the bureaucracy faced. "People are so lovely," she said while sharing a walk through Alvor and some of the tasks needed to prepare the van, such as collecting signage and trying pastry products. The couple's journey continues to be shared on social media.
