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Producer of the month: Fabi Bakery

Fabiana Pragier's chocolate covered brazilian carrot cake

Fabiana Pragier’s gluten free cakes and desserts are undoubtedly one of our favourite discoveries of the last year. We asked her to share her story:

  1. Your gluten free chocolate covered carrot cake is a huge success in store. Tell us a little bit about the cake’s origins back in Brazil.

The use of carrots in cakes dates back to 1700, but unlike the American carrot cake that uses grated carrots in the dough, we blitz the carrots in Brazil. Even though Brazil is one of the greatest sugar producers in the world, sugar was expensive, so carrots were used as a sweetener. We also use a chocolate sauce as frosting rather than cream cheese.

  1. How did you come to launch your business in London?

I went to Le Cordon Bleu in London and my plan was to go back to Hamburg, Germany where I used to live to launch a business there. As I specialised in gluten and dairy free patisserie from the beginning and realised that London lacked products like mine, I decided to stay!

Fabiana Pragier's chocolate covered brazilian carrot cake

  1. Tell us a bit about your exploration in gluten free baking & dessert making?

I am dairy intolerant, so I always tried to replace dairy in recipes. But when I started to sell cakes from home, neighbours and friends asked if I could bake gluten free too! I went back to study in Brazil but the climate, ingredients & food preferences between the two countries led me to conduct my own experiments. I’m now an expert in the chemistry of gluten-free flours and you don’t notice the difference to the classic flours in my desserts.

  1. What are other Brazilian foods would you encourage us to try? (gluten free or not!)

Brazil is very rich in fruits and vegetables. I really love cassava and all you can create with that. pao de queijo (cheese bread) is also something delicious and special. In patisserie, I really love quindim (an egg yolk based custard with coconut) and walnut cake with dulce de leche.

  1. What other products do you love at Panzer’s?

I love the bread selection, fruits and sushi. And the Italian patisseries.

Find Fabiana’s delights in our dessert fridges, delivered several times a week.

Producer of the Month: Julienne Bruno

Our team was bowled over when they tried Julienne Bruno’s vegan cheeses. We spoke to founder Axel Katalan to get the inside story behind the newest products in our dairy fridges.

Three pots of Julienne Bruno vegan Burella cheese stacked up

How was the idea for Julienne Bruno born? 

Growing up in a Spanish/Turkish household, food was at the heart of every special moment. I wanted products that catered for the foodie palette, and didn’t just create another “ok” product for the sake of it being plant-based. I sought out an idol of mine, Alan Yau and joined his team to learn how a genius of the industry approaches taste, design, branding and everything in between. Fast forward 5 years, we’ve built our first kitchen and a community of early supporters through our collection 01.

Tell us a bit about the team behind the brand – how did you come together? 

We are a small team. At the core is myself, and Chi San (our Director of Food) who brings 30 years of gastronomy experience along with our board advisor Alan Yau (Wagamama, Hakkasan and more). We also have a fantastic Head of Product, but their identity will be revealed as a surprise a little further down the road.

Julienne Bruno chefs in Black and White

Your food is about “seduction, not persuasion…” tell us why 

I’ve learned a valuable lesson: If I create a super appetising recipe, that is 100% vegan, and I present it to my friends and family in the light of “here, have a go” – the chances of winning them over and getting them to eat it, even if it’s once a week, are increased. As a brand, I think we can really excel by creating indulgently appetising products/recipes/dishes that inspire even the most carnivorous to go “oh that looks really nice, let me give it a try”. One bite is all it takes; the rest is history.

Julienne Bruno vegan cheese on a Panzer's bagel

Its like choosing a favourite child… but your favourite product and how you like to eat it? 

Ha! Perfectly said… I love all our products, but if I had to choose one, I’d say our Burrella. We recently placed the creamy Burrella on top of a bed of black olive tapenade along with some rich kalamata olives, and fried fresh oregano. I should make that again today.

Where is one of your favourite places to eat right now?

My Neighbours the Dumplings in Hackney. They have an amazing range of veggie options, the food is always made to order, beautifully designed and good energy overall.

You can find Julienne Bruno’s selection in our dairy fridges in store. 

DELIVERY ZONE INFORMATION

Local London Delivery

Due to the nature of our range, some items can only be delivered within the London area. If your order containers any flowers or fresh fruit then you will need to live locally to be able to have it delivered. Sushi is delivered within a 3 mile radius of our store.

Nationwide Delivery

All other goods can be delivered nationwide (excluding Highlands and Islands) via our partner couriers. There is a slightly larger delivery cost for this service outside of London.

Collection In Store

Everything on the store can be ordered for collection from our store. Orders must be picked up on your chosen collection date, and can be picked up from the store between the hours of 9am – 6pm, seven days a week. If your order was placed online, please bring your order confirmation when collecting.

Certain goods can be sent overseas, please call for more information.