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Aisha Doty Al Husseiny — the artful chocolatier
Aisha Doty Al Husseiny — the artful chocolatier
28 October, 2022
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Naturalised Emirati and doting mother of two, realises her dream of dabbling in baking after being a homemaker for nearly three decades

Aisha Doty Al Husseiny with her husband Mustafa Mohammad Al Husseiny and sons Salem (extreme left) and Saeed (extreme right). Supplied photo

Life comes full circle

Aisha’s dream to become a baker that was spurned by her parents in the 1980s was realised in December 2021. Mustafa’s encouragement and constant prodding led to the birth of Golden Ribbon Chocolates — a sprawling and tastefully decorated cake, pastry and savouries outlet at Al Muntazah Plaza in serene Al Qulaya’ah, Sharjah.

Initially, Aisha, who has always been a stickler for professionalism, enrolled for a two-day course at the International Centre for Culinary Arts (ICCA) in Dubai. Later, she received a six-month training as a pastry chef and got her diploma from the City and Guilds of London Institute.

In less than a year, Golden Ribbon Chocolates have struck a chord with its discernible customers for selling Callebaut’s iconic finest Belgian chocolates, where fillings are all homemade. The handcrafted chocolates are inspired by a French-Arabic fusion. They are available in a wide array of flavours such as cardamom, saffron, date, tahini and za'atar.

“Benchmarking the product to European standards with local produce such as milk and eggs are our hallmark. Sustainability is the key to our products. Contrary to popular perception, we have ensured that no palm oil is used in making chocolates,” she said.

Her affable and hard working 11-member of the staff vouched for the quality of the chocolates.For instance, the emphasis has always been to use Couverture, a high-quality chocolate that contains a higher percentage of cocoa butter than baking or eating chocolate.

Aisha is clear about Golden Ribbon Chocolates’ future. “It’s a labour of love and not an enterprise to make money. We would like to support the local community and give a human touch to our endeavour. I have always had a pet peeve about people missing out on experiential feelings before making any financial transaction. Golden Ribbon Chocolates ticks that box, as there is a separate room for tasting, mixing, and matching our bespoke cakes that can be served during weddings, birthdays and other celebrations. So, there won’t be another clone of Golden Ribbon Chocolates through franchise models,” she added.

Article on www.khaleejtimes.com

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