ABOUT Me
"There are so many forms of love.
To me, baking cakes or creating a new dessert for someone is a form of love and I enjoy seeing the reaction of people once they eat them.
If I do my job well, I can make them happy with my sweet creations.
That's why I love what I do."
My STORY
DOLCE is my independent business that I founded in 2017 and it is both the result of an inborn passion for baking and a personal challenge with a desire to get back in the game.
I was born and raised in the beautiful city of Naples – in the south of Italy, in a traditional neapolitan family where "cooking" has always meant not just "making food" but a way to take care of the people you love. It is a form of love.
After earning a law degree in a renowned Italian university, I became a criminal barrister, spending hours of my days in court rooms and legal firms. One day, I realised that I was not happy with how my life was going on.
So I decided to hang up the gown to the wall and don the apron: I wanted to become a professional Pastry Chef! That's why I moved to London, to pursue my true passion and reinvent myself...
I first worked as an assistant Head Chocolatier in a luxury chocolate boutique, then as an apprentice Pastry Chef in an awarded French pâtisserie.
After these working experiences, I decided to improve myself to the very best level and get the prestigious Diplôme de Pâtisserie at the world leading culinary school Le Cordon Bleu, in London. I brilliantly graduated in December 2017.
Doing so, I just felt like I was following my real path and my dream.
I created DOLCE London with one ambition: to bring the Italian traditional "dessert canapés" (pasticceria mignon) in London, but with a modern and young eye - giving my personal twist to the classic fine Italian pastries.
I chose to focus on these one-bite sized pastries for many reasons: first of all, it was a way to go back in the past, when as a child I used to eat and enjoy them with my family on Sundays lunches.
When I bake my pastries I feel at home, even if I am miles away.
In Italy, we call them "mignon", it means "small": these pastries are actually "mini" (like canapés) but very rich in their taste and beautiful to look at. This aspect is a characteristic that really fits the person I am: tiny and "little" but with a lot of energy and a strong personality!
All my delicacies are the result of memories of my childhood, my family traditions handed down from generations, precious inherited recipes and my personal interpretations of them - sometimes combined with unusual flavours put together to give you an unexpected explosion of taste in your mouth!
For my recipes I use simple but high quality, fresh ingredients - staying away from unnatural preservatives, food colourings and gelatine (DOLCE is vegetarian friendly!). Each "pasticcino" is individually handmade from scratch - to create the finest Italian pastries that are not only visually beautiful and colourful, but also incredibly tasty!
WHERE YOU CAN READ ABOUT Me
My TEAM
During 2019-2020, the business had seen an important growth.
In March 2020, the combination of COVID-19 pandemic and my maternity, made me realise that I needed some help to keep the business able to face this steady growth and the high quality level my customers were used to. I couldn't do everything on my own anymore and be a mother during an uncertain and difficult time as the one we were facing.
I have used this time to take a break and think how I could make everything work. After few months, I reorganised DOLCE and we opened again to the public with a new set-up.
DOLCE London is now a bigger family where professional young Italian pastry chefs work with me to bring you, again, my beloved cakes and pastries. All of them work under my supervision, following my recipes and advices, and are passionate as I am about this job!
That's why even if I might not be able to make every and each single cake or pastry anymore, you can be 100% sure that my team won't disappoint you! My sous pastry chef is Nicoletta, a talented young Italian pastry chef graduated at the prestigious ALMA International Culinary school.
We are always looking for talented pastry chefs to join our family, if you are interested please don't hesitate to visit our JOBS section and get in touch!