5 Female Sweet Treat Innovators Shaping Confectionery
Words: Hannah Lemass
Sweet Treat Girlies unite!
We’re still in the midst of Women’s History Month, and here at Char, we’re raising our glasses to the women who innovate, champion, and inspire with a series that shines a light on just some of the queens of the food and drink industry that we admire.
Today, we’re celebrating women who are making waves in the world of confectionery. From chocolates to cakes, they are maestros of flavour and creativity, building big names for themselves. Thank you for keeping our sweet tooths satisfied and inspiring us all to follow our dreams and embrace our talents.
Drunken Cookie
The master of cookies, Saifa Kajani, takes the humble treat to new heights with her brand, The Drunken Cookie. They are stuffed, topped, and thiiiiiicc. Saifa is not only innovating with her recipes but also with her approach to business, harnessing the power of social media to build a loyal following. She offers a monthly cookie box for order and maintains a regular market stall.
More than just a talented baker and businesswoman, Saifa is an inspiration for women in the industry and beyond. She is unflinchingly open and honest about her journey with mental health and addiction recovery, proving to everyone that you can turn darkness into something positive and sweet, of course.
Images: @thedrunkencookieireland
Tara Gartlan Chocolate
We love a safe space for coeliacs and so does Tara Gartlan. A trained chef with Michelin-level culinary experience, she is an expert in her field. She has used her skills to create a brand that delivers indulgence and flavour without compromise despite being 100% gluten free.
She gets it because she is a diagnosed coeliac too. Even people with gluten intolerance deserve luxurious treats, whether it is delicate bonbons that double as stunning works of art or deeply satisfying, moreish brownies and cookies.
Images: Angela Gartlan
Naked Bakes
Vegans deserve a haven of baked goods and that is exactly what Aisling Tuck provides with Naked Bakes. Aisling became vegan at 18 and, faced with the struggle of finding treats to satisfy her sweet tooth, she took matters into her own hands. She founded Naked Bakes, which now supplies numerous cafés and has its own pop-up at Hen’s Teeth from Tuesday to Saturday. She has also made vegan sweet treats accessible and mainstream with her bake-at-home cookie dough, available at SuperValu and Lidl.
Images: @aislingtuck & @eatnakedbakes
2210 Patisserie
Una Leonard is an inspiring businesswoman and chef who found healing through her talent in the kitchen and now shares that sweet result with the rest of us via 2210 Patisserie. She even has a book full of recipes where she opens up about her journey with mental health and the therapeutic properties of baking.
When you visit her bakeries in Mullingar or Powerscourt Shopping Centre in Dublin, you are met with a supremely luxurious parisian-style storefront. But the goodies within taste like familiar, yet elevated, bites of home. You can pick them up in store or order for delivery.
Images: Ruth Medjber & @2210_patisserie
Grá Chocolates
A chocolate revolutionary, Gráinne leads the charge in redefining confectionery. A highly experienced and award-winning pastry chef, she was forced to make a major pivot during the pandemic and founded her chocolate business, now one of the most revered in the country.
She combines pure artistry in her designs with innovative creativity in her flavour and textural combinations. Nobody embodies attention to detail like Grá Chocolates. Each chocolate is meticulously handcrafted and takes a full three days to create. You can taste every bit of love, care and effort.
Images: RTÉ & @gra_chocolates
