Latest news with #Knafeh
RTÉ News
5 days ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
How a Mullingar sweet shop has embraced viral food trends
When David Quirke opened Sugarplum Sweetery in Co Westmeath just three years ago alongside his wife, Denise, it was partly driven by a desire to balance their healthy restaurant Wholesome, which they'd opened three years prior, with something more "naughty". Creating one of the most viral and coveted sweet treats to hit the Irish food market in years was probably not on their five-year plan. Sugarplum Sweetery, a multicoloured and eye-catching shop in Mullingar, had been drawing sweet fanatics with its selection of gummies and chocolates since it opened, but it wasn't until they launched their take on the viral Dubai chocolate bar that business truly started to boom. "We've always been a social media-led brand", Quirke said at TikTok's 2025 Trend Forecast event in Dublin on Thursday. "Everything we do, we're obviously massively inspired by Willy Wonka, everything is nostalgia-based. When you come to our ship it's all about an experience. It's bringing back in that nostalgia." Heavily inspired by the likes of Roald Dahl, and anything that excites the imagination as well as the stomach, Quirke recalled seeing how the original Dubai chocolate bar by Fix - a thick milk chocolate bar filled with pistachio cream and crispy Knafeh pastry flakes - captured the attention of viewers across the world, before dying down again as homebakers tried their hand at copying the recipe. The couple travelled to Dubai to taste the original, spending a month tweaking their recipe at home to create a version that uses Irish butter and other "secret ingredients". Taking a new product from testing to market is an arduous process, and one made more challenging for the team due to the time of year: "When we seen that there was a massive demand for this, it came around Christmas, which is our busiest time of the year - about a third of your yearly turnover would come in December. To add on [the] Dubai [bar] and a massive viral hit, we had to hire huge amounts of staff so quickly, we had to train them up, we had to expand our kitchens, buy new equipment, and all of that took a few weeks or a few months, but we expanded as fast as we possibly could." Despite this, there was still a four-week delay for customers waiting to get their hands on the bar - something that only added to its appeal. "We thought that might be damaging to the business, that people might not want to wait as long, but it went even more nuts when people were waiting four weeks. Everyone wanted to jump into the queue to get chocolate." Now, six months after the launch, the Sugarplum team is still working 24-hour days. Far from being a one-off viral hit, Quirke believes their take on the pistachio-filled bar isn't going anywhere. "It's all down to reorders. It's something that we feel will still be our number one product in five years' time." Having tasted virality once, it's not surprising then that the team has embraced novelty and catching trends as they come: "You become addicted to that viral nature of it. Even six months on the company is very viral on TikTok and that's down to jumping on every trend that's there." Their latest launch - thick-filled chocolate bars packed with indulgent ingredients - is another response to dessert bars, which have proven popular on social media.
Indianapolis Star
6 days ago
- Business
- Indianapolis Star
Trader Joe's sells viral Dubai chocolate bars for 5 times less than original price
Trader Joe's is now serving up its own version of the viral Dubai chocolate bar, but at a fraction of the price. The health store's "dupe," or duplicate, of the viral Dubai chocolate bar, which gained traction on social media earlier this year, is manufactured by Patis Food Group, a chocolatier based in Illinois. Though the "Pistachio Cream and Kataifi Filled Dark Chocolate Bar" is actually made in Turkey. The chocolate bar is made with 50% dark chocolate, pistachio cream and kataifi (shredded filo pastry) and sold exclusively at Trader Joe's. The chocolate bars arrived in stores the week of May 26. Trader Joe's Public Relations Manager Nakia Rohde told USA TODAY that the chocolate bars are available for a limited time, but if customers "really love this product," more will be sold. Dubai chocolate bars have been all the rage on social media this year due to their smooth chocolate, rich pistachio cream and high price point. Though the original bar is actually made by a Dubai chocolatier, countless brands have swooped in to offer their own, but cheaper versions. The 3.52-ounce Pistachio Cream and Kataifi Filled Dark Chocolate Bar is $3.99 at Trader Joe's. California content creator Tina Bekkali posted a taste test video of Trader Joe's Dubai chocolate bar to TikTok on Tuesday, May 27, and as of May 28, the video already has more than 396,000 views. "I love kunefe and pistachios, so I've been wanting to try Dubai chocolate for months since I first saw it," Bekkali told USA TODAY. "However, I don't want to pay $20+ for a chocolate bar. When I saw Trader Joe's would have one, I specifically went there that morning in hopes of finding them." Bekkali added that she would buy the Trader Joe's dupe again and is glad the grocery store chain made an otherwise expensive "sweet treat" more accessible to the masses. Sila Adhiningrat, another California content creator, also posted a TikTok video of her giving the dupe a try. As of May 28, the video had 12,200 views. Adhiningrat told USA TODAY she enjoyed the Trader Joe's dupe but probably wouldn't buy it again. "I wouldn't choose it over chocolate bars at Trader Joe's, though, and will probably stick to my other favorite chocolates," she said. To search a list of Trader Joe's locations, visit the grocery store's website at The original Dubai chocolate bar is made by FIX Dessert Chocolatier in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. A six-pack of bars costs $120 on the FIX Dessert Chocolatier website, making one bar $20. Named "Can't Get Knafeh Of It," the chocolate bar was first released in 2022 when FIX Dessert Chocolatier Founder Sarah Hamouda wished to satisfy her pregnancy cravings for knafeh (a Middle Eastern dessert made with pastry dough, sweet cheese and syrup) and pistachio, as reported by BBC. The bars first went viral in 2023, when content creator Maria Vehera posted a TikTok video of her devouring the luxury chocolate bar. As of May 28, the video boasts more than 127 million views. Countless videos of content creators munching on the viral bar (and 'dupes') have circulated the internet since. And brands are taking the opportunity to release their own versions, including Turkish food manufacturer Ulker ($15 for one bar), New York City-based The Nuts Factory ($50 for two bars) and countless homemade recipes on Etsy. Yes. FIX Dessert Chocolatier ships its products worldwide. Editor's note: This story has been updated to add a new video.
Indianapolis Star
6 days ago
- Business
- Indianapolis Star
Trader Joe's sells viral Dubai chocolate bars for 5 times less than original price
Trader Joe's is now serving up its own version of the viral Dubai chocolate bar, but at a fraction of the price. The health store's "dupe," or duplicate, of the viral Dubai chocolate bar, which gained traction on social media earlier this year, is manufactured by Patis Food Group, a chocolatier based in Illinois. Though the "Pistachio Cream and Kataifi Filled Dark Chocolate Bar" is actually made in Turkey. The chocolate bar is made with 50% dark chocolate, pistachio cream and kataifi (shredded filo pastry) and sold exclusively at Trader Joe's. The chocolate bars arrived in stores the week of May 26. Trader Joe's Public Relations Manager Nakia Rohde told USA TODAY that the chocolate bars are available for a limited time, but if customers "really love this product," more will be sold. Dubai chocolate bars have been all the rage on social media this year due to their smooth chocolate, rich pistachio cream and high price point. Though the original bar is actually made by a Dubai chocolatier, countless brands have swooped in to offer their own, but cheaper versions. The 3.52-ounce Pistachio Cream and Kataifi Filled Dark Chocolate Bar is $3.99 at Trader Joe's. California content creator Tina Bekkali posted a taste test video of Trader Joe's Dubai chocolate bar to TikTok on Tuesday, May 27, and as of May 28, the video already has more than 396,000 views. "I love kunefe and pistachios, so I've been wanting to try Dubai chocolate for months since I first saw it," Bekkali told USA TODAY. "However, I don't want to pay $20+ for a chocolate bar. When I saw Trader Joe's would have one, I specifically went there that morning in hopes of finding them." Bekkali added that she would buy the Trader Joe's dupe again and is glad the grocery store chain made an otherwise expensive "sweet treat" more accessible to the masses. Sila Adhiningrat, another California content creator, also posted a TikTok video of her giving the dupe a try. As of May 28, the video had 12,200 views. Adhiningrat told USA TODAY she enjoyed the Trader Joe's dupe but probably wouldn't buy it again. "I wouldn't choose it over chocolate bars at Trader Joe's, though, and will probably stick to my other favorite chocolates," she said. To search a list of Trader Joe's locations, visit the grocery store's website at The original Dubai chocolate bar is made by FIX Dessert Chocolatier in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. A six-pack of bars costs $120 on the FIX Dessert Chocolatier website, making one bar $20. Named "Can't Get Knafeh Of It," the chocolate bar was first released in 2022 when FIX Dessert Chocolatier Founder Sarah Hamouda wished to satisfy her pregnancy cravings for knafeh (a Middle Eastern dessert made with pastry dough, sweet cheese and syrup) and pistachio, as reported by BBC. The bars first went viral in 2023, when content creator Maria Vehera posted a TikTok video of her devouring the luxury chocolate bar. As of May 28, the video boasts more than 127 million views. Countless videos of content creators munching on the viral bar (and 'dupes') have circulated the internet since. And brands are taking the opportunity to release their own versions, including Turkish food manufacturer Ulker ($15 for one bar), New York City-based The Nuts Factory ($50 for two bars) and countless homemade recipes on Etsy. Yes. FIX Dessert Chocolatier ships its products worldwide. Editor's note: This story has been updated to add a new video.
Entrepreneur
26-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
FIX Your Cravings: Inside the World of FIX Chocolate's Sarah Hamouda
"The momentum came from real reactions and genuine word of mouth, and I think that's exactly why it resonated. We didn't have a structured marketing plan or budget. It was all about people connecting with the product and sharing it because they truly believed in it." You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Favor, nostalgia, and creativity. The three words that Sarah Hamouda, a British-Egyptian co-founder of FIX Dessert Chocolatier (FIX), uses to describe the "Can't Get Knafeh Of It" chocolate that she created back in 2022. "It truly began with a craving as I was heavily pregnant and just desperate to find something I couldn't find anywhere else," she says. "I wanted something nostalgic, indulgent and a little bit playful. In my mind, I kept picturing this dessert that was creamy, crunchy, and familiar but still a little unexpected. That's when I started experimenting." In less than three years, FIX's chocolate bars became a cultural moment- the world stops for a chance to enjoy this combination of milk chocolate, the shredded pastry known as kataifi, and a pistachio cream filling. That was obvious during the last World Economic Forum in Davos, where people braved the cold and waited in long lines for a taste of Hamouda's chocolate bars. But it happens in Dubai too, at 14:00 and 17:00 every day, when daily production of 500 bars sells out on Deliveroo in a matter or minutes. Was Hamouda ready for the high demand of her treats? "Honestly, not at all! We were learning as we went, adjusting processes in real time and constantly solving problems as they came up," she says. "There were sleepless nights, but we kept going. While we may not have been fully prepared to meet the demand, we were determined to rise to the challenge and figure it out along the way." When this story started, both Hamouda and her husband and co-founder at FIX, Yezen Alani, were working full-time corporate jobs, juggling back-to-back meetings, tight deadlines, and batches of chocolate all at once. "Our days were packed and our nights were even busier, but we were fueled by something we truly believed in," Hamouda recalls. "What really made it possible, especially in the early stages, was the incredible support from the people we surrounded ourselves with. As the FIX community started to grow, so did the demand for the product, and that's when it became clear that the brand needed our undivided attention. Stepping away from our day jobs was a big decision, but it felt right. The brand had taken on a life of its own, and we knew it was time to give it all we had." Industry experts have praised the duo for creating "a dessert in a chocolate bar that is much more than just a regular chocolate bar," while others believe that FIX chocolate's resonance lies in its deep Middle Eastern roots as it reminds people of family traditions of sharing sweets. Yet, Hamouda explains there is much more to it. "I wanted to create something that felt personal but relatable," she says. "A brand that tapped into nostalgia without leaning too heavily on it, and felt premium without being intimidating. I had people like myself in mind: emotionally connected to food, with a strong sense of taste, a sense of humor, and an eye for detail. Yezen, my husband, has been instrumental in naming our bars. He added that quirky twist that makes people smile. With FIX, we wanted it to feel like a treat, but also something that sparks curiosity and conversation." Image courtesy of FIX In December 2023, when TikTok influencer Maria Vehera posted a video of herself trying Hamouda's chocolate bar, the FIX brand certainly did capture attention and get people talking. The video went viral, leading to nearly seven million likes to date, and caused the prompt christening of "Can't Get Knafeh Of It" to "Dubai chocolate." Hamouda says, "Maria's video captured the essence of FIX in such a raw, unfiltered, and engaging way. A few weeks later, my phone just wouldn't stop buzzing. Messages started pouring in from all over the world, and we were completely caught off guard. I think that's the magic of something genuine, it connects with people when you least expect it." She adds that the brand's marketing strategy was completely organic. "People tried the bars out of curiosity or because a friend recommended it to them," Hamouda explains. "Maria, who posted the video that ended up gaining so much attention, made me see our bars through a whole new lens. It wasn't part of a strategy or campaign. She simply loved the product and wanted to share it." "The momentum came from real reactions and genuine word of mouth, and I think that's exactly why it resonated. We didn't have a structured marketing plan or budget. It was all about people connecting with the product and sharing it because they truly believed in it." FIX's products remain solely available in Dubai, which adds to its exclusivity, but also causes some interesting shifts in the chocolate production sector worldwide. One is independent chocolatiers and multinational brands, such as Lindt and Ülker, being urged to produce their own versions of the "Dubai chocolate" to meet the global demand. Another striking and unpredicted shift is the shortage of global pistachio supply due to the high demand for the basic kernels used in the FIX chocolate bars. "We're incredibly proud to have inspired so many brands and individuals. Seeing the impact FIX has had on the dessert industry is something we never take for granted," Hamouda says, and decides to share her views on the copycats of her business. "The frustration doesn't come from others creating their own take on "Dubai chocolate." It comes from those who directly replicate our intellectual property or use our branding to promote imitation products," she explains. "We've put so much into building something original and thoughtful, and it's important to us that our community can distinguish what's truly FIX. We've trademarked what we can, and our focus remains on what matters most: staying creative, protecting our identity, and delivering an experience that only FIX can offer." The latest achievement of the FIX team was being to create a limited edition of a new chocolate (the Emirati Halwa) for H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence of the UAE. "We were asked to create a bespoke chocolate inspired by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan's favorite dessert, Halwa, and we knew we had to get it right," Hamouda says. "We spent time understanding the traditional flavors, then brought in innovation, craftsmanship and the right team to give it the signature FIX touch. It took time, precision and a lot of passion, and honestly, it still feels like a dream we're proud to be living." Looking back at the fast-paced global growth of FIX Dessert Chocolatier, Hamouda has a few tips to share with other entrepreneurs. "Pacing has definitely been one of the biggest learning curves for us. In the early days, there's so much energy and excitement that it's tempting to say yes to everything and try and do it all at once. But over time, I've come to realize that sustainable growth takes time and patience. It doesn't have to happen overnight." She adds, "As the business evolved, I started to understand the value of stepping back a little. I'm incredibly lucky to be surrounded by a passionate, capable team, and learning to lean on them and trust the process has been a big shift for me. At the end of the day, great things are built together, and the strongest foundations are laid through steady, intentional growth." The biggest lesson they have learned along the way? "Build slow, build true, and never give up," Hamouda says.
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The Independent
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
M&S restocks viral pistachio chocolate bar – but how does it taste?
Unless you've taken a digital detox of monumental proportions, you'll have heard about the chocolate sensation taking over social media. 'Dubai chocolate' as it's become known, has racked up more than 120 million views on TikTok, sparked a global craving for pistachio cream, and even contributed to international nut shortages. Yes, really. The original Dubai chocolate bar was made by luxury confectionery brand, Fix Dessert Chocolatier, in the UAE. The now treat is a nod to the traditional Knafeh dessert, which is made with spun pastry dough, layered with cheese, soaked in a sweet, sugar-based syrup and finished with a sprinkling of pistachio. The chocolate bars feature a filling of pistachio cream, crispy Kadayif (a fine vermicelli pastry), and a hint of tahini. Think Ferrero Rocher meets baklava, but richer, and infinitely more difficult to track down. Fix Dessert Chocolatier's creations aren't available outside Dubai, but that hasn't stopped brands from attempting to cash in on the viral momentum. First it was Lidl, whose affordable sold out within days. And now Marks & Spencer has joined the pistachio party. Its bar, which launched to fanfare in April, immediately flew off the shelves. It is now back. But does M&S's version live up to the viral hype? And is it worth its £8.50 price tag? I found out. How I tested It will come as no surprise that the testing process for this review involved me eating a lot of chocolate – a particularly hard day in the office for me. For context, I have tried a number of Dubai-style chocolate bars in the past, including Lidl's now sold-out special. So I knew what I was looking for: a good bar is thick and indulgent with high-quality milk chocolate shell, generous lashing of pistachio cream and a satisfying crunch. This is more expensive than your average chocolate bar, so I considered if it really is worth the price – assessing the size, quality of ingredients and if it tastes as luxurious as the price tag suggests.
