Latest news with #LittleDessertShop
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New dessert shop in Sydenham set to open with free waffles and half-price treats
A new treat shop in Sydenham is opening its doors with free waffles and half-price indulgences to celebrate its grand launch. Little Dessert Shop will open its doors on Sydenham Road on Saturday, July 26, offering a full day of sweet deals to celebrate. The interior of the new shop. (Image: Palm PR) The first 100 customers from 1pm will receive a free waffle, with a choice between Cookie Explosion and White Chocolate and Raspberry Roulette. Co-founder Mu'Azzam Ali said: "We're over the moon to be joining the vibrant food and drink scene of Sydenham. "We can't wait to welcome families, foodies, and friends through our doors, and become the go-to spot for dessert lovers." All customers will enjoy 50 per cent off the entire menu throughout the day and the shop will be open daily from 11am to 11pm. The first 100 customers from 1pm will be treated to three different variations of waffles. (Image: Palm PR) The menu features a wide range of desserts, including milkshakes, cookie dough, Dubai-style chocolate strawberries, and other social media-inspired treats. Read more The south east London burger restaurants shortlisted for national award A hotel right on the doorstep of London has the luxury dining experience you need This popular Forest Hill pub is set to close for a major refurbishment Little Dessert Shop was founded in 2015 by Zaeem Chohan and Maz Ali and has since expanded to cities including Manchester, Glasgow, Wolverhampton, and Birmingham. The brand is known for its family-friendly atmosphere and indulgent, high-quality desserts.
Daily Mirror
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'I tried sweet sushi for the first time and made wild discovery'
Sushi and dessert are probably not two food items you every thought would go together. For most people, sushi will conjure up fishy feelings - or at the very least, make you think of soy sauce-coated cucumber. The key component of sushi, however, is the rice, which is seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt to give it that distinctive taste. Meanwhile, sweet treats are all the rage, with the likes of Dubai chocolate, mochi and pistachio-flavoured snacks making waves on social media. So when I started seeing videos on TikTok about a cafe with branches nearby in Manchester combining sushi and dessert, I was intrigued to say the least. So, what is a sushi dessert, and where can you get it from? The viral food is made by Little Dessert Shop, and while it might look like sushi, fear not—there isn't a piece of fish in sight. The viral Kunafa Sushi Crepe, £8.50, is a "rolled crêpe filled with Kunafa, drizzled in white chocolate, topped with pistachio nut crumbs and fresh raspberries". To give it its name, the snack is shaped like bite-sized sushi rolls, which somehow makes it all the more delicious when you tuck in. Why is it that mini versions of things taste so much better? With Dubai chocolate all the rage at the moment - you can barely scroll through your social media pages without seeing some pistachio-related dessert - it feels like a very timely, and very tasty addition to the menu. If you're feeling even more decadent, you can get yourself a chocolate pot to dunk the little sushi rolls in. Think of it like an ultra-sugary (and arguably tastier!) soy sauce or wasabi. When I tried the much-hyped Kunafa Sushi Crepe, I had some seriously high expectations. The number of people that I'd seen hailing this dessert on TikTok was wild, and there's some serious competition on the market. It feels like there are more dessert restaurants than pubs in the UK these days (joking, obviously - but they do seem to be cropping up at a rate of knots). When things are massively hyped, it can go one of two ways. You can immediately buy into the hype, or you can be left feeling disappointed and wonder what everyone was so obsessed with. In this case, thankfully, I fell into the former category. On their packaging they even claim to be the 'UK's most viral dessert,' so they hype themselves up too - but I feel it's an accolade they deserve. I've never tasted kunafa quite as dense and gorgeous as this before, and the pistachio flavours were top notch. Pair that with the chocolate pot, and it was an intense flavour sensation. Plus, chocoholics will be thrilled to know you can get a box which includes mini pancakes and brownies too, so if you've got a super sweet tooth, they've got you covered. I genuinely haven't enjoyed a Dubai chocolate-inspired item quite like this one. While it's so sweet you won't want more than a couple of pieces, it leaves you feeling satisfied because it's so delicious. I made a discovery I really didn't expect – sweet sushi really is as good as the savoury variety! I'd give this a 10/10, easily. There are Little Dessert Shops up and down the country, so you can try this viral sensation for yourself - but be warned, you'll probably want to go back again and again for more, and it'll probably become your favourite dessert shop.
Wales Online
03-05-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
The unlikely trend that's flooding Welsh high streets and only getting bigger
The unlikely trend that's flooding Welsh high streets and only getting bigger With fewer young people drinking alcohol industry leaders are excited at its scope At Cardiff's Little Dessert Shop Raihaan Ahmed laughs with pride at the size of a single slice of chocolate cake which is exhibited at the counter like an artefact in a museum. His shop in bustling City Road is the sixth dessert café within a couple of miles of each other and each one has an equally garish main event from soufflé pancakes to deconstructed oversized crème eggs. Dessert cafés have been around in Britain for the best part of 20 years and now there are hundreds of them, many of which flood our cities' high streets. The further boom in recent years makes for a saturated market which means one thing – a race to create the next viral pudding. Ex-marketing student Raihaan, 24, says it is an industry made for him. 'Believe it or not I'm actually not really a dessert person,' eccentric Raihaan says excitedly. 'But I know what works. You don't buy this food with your stomach. You buy it with your eyes. The food has to evoke an emotion in people. That is my passion. Because there is so much competition in the industry you have to be different and often that means being weird or wacky.' Surely no-one eats the whole giant slice of cake to themselves? 'You'd be surprised. I have seen one person come in and eat the whole lot. Mind you I've not seen him since. He might be dead.' Raihaan, who also runs an Indian restaurant and takeaway, wears a gold and black cravat he's recently ordered from Germany. 'Little things make a difference,' he insists. 'It shows attention to detail.' His dessert café, not unlike others, predominantly targets young women and still currently relies on Muslim families looking for a non-alcoholic treat. 'Young females – the majority students – and a lot of Muslim families too,' Raihaan explains of his clientele. Article continues below 'In terms of gatherings we get a lot of Asian families coming in large groups. They're after a premium chilled vibe, a calming atmosphere, and yummy treats. It suits those communities perfectly.' Raihaan, who also runs an Indian restaurant and takeaway, wears a gold and black cravat he's recently ordered from Germany (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) For now Little Dessert Shop have put their chips on Dubai chocolate, the most viral of trends the industry has seen in the last 12 months (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Little Dessert Shop, like most dessert café businesses in Britain, began in areas highly populated by Asian people. The first shop was in Wolverhampton and it expanded to other communities in the Midlands with large Asian influence. Some within the industry believe it is one which is changing as societal norms change in Britain. With fewer young people spending time in pubs and bars industry leaders are excited at the scope for dessert cafés. It is an industry which still has a religious aspect running through it though. Little Dessert Shop, which now has more than 50 cafés in the UK, has created a Ramadan milkshake, a Diwali cheesecake, and for Easter concocted a chocolate egg waffle in the last year. For now they have put their chips on Dubai chocolate, the most viral of trends the industry has seen in the last 12 months. The smooth yet crunchy bars were first invented in 2021 by Sarah Hamouda, a British-Egyptian living in Dubai. When she was pregnant with her second child her cravings inspired her to come up with a chocolate bar containing a sweet and soft filling of pistachio cream and tahini with crunchy knafeh – a Middle Eastern dessert made from syrup, filo, and dessert cheese. To her astonishment it became a craze and there is now such a global demand for it there's a shortage, Raihaan explains. 'Dubai chocolate is incredibly difficult to source so we have to sell it at a high price. At the moment here one cup is £8.50. It's our best-selling product at the moment without a doubt, just because of how famous it is. 'I'll be honest – it is a difficult industry because ultimately nice desserts are an elastic product. Any slight change in price influences the market quite a lot and what we sell isn't cheap. It's not a doughnut from Greggs and we need to make a margin. The product needs to be different but it also needs to be pretty flawless. If not people won't come back.' Social media is the reason for Dubai chocolate's rapid rise after interest in it went stratospheric on TikTok last year. For the industry social media is now, as Raihaan puts it, 'everything'. Behind the counter at the Queen Street store Saif Ul Mahmood, a tech boffin who recently left his job at Curry's to become part-owner at the store, is making the most popular pancake – strawberry and Nutella (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Bilal Saleem, part owner of Cardiff's Fluffy Fluffy store which is known for its bouncy, pillow-like pancakes, agrees. 'Social media is massive – especially in desserts. The hardest part now is how you stand out in this very crowded market. Having new flavours that pop will keep us relevant. We have to be incessant with our creativity. We have to continue to work effectively with influencers, grow our collaborative partnerships, and know our audience.' Who are their audience? 'Young females predominantly,' Bilal says with the same certainty as Raihaan. 'Twenty- to 45-year-olds who want some affordable luxury.' His background bears striking similarities to Raihaan too, in branding and marketing, having run a digital marketing agency for hospitality businesses for 10 years. Nothing has surprised him so far during his six months opening the Cardiff store. 'To start with we were rammed day in and day out because we were new and the pancakes had obviously gone viral prior to our opening. There was a lot of excitement and the queues were out the door for days. But then it died down. That's when the real work starts. Before 2020 no-one had heard of soufflé pancakes and it is a trend which ultimately could die off. For us to stay relevant yes we have our USP of the soufflé pancake but we have to evolve.' The pancakes are made with more air than usual in the batter giving a precise bouncy texture (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Also on the menu are croffles. You can have them savoury or sweet. They're croissants which have been put through a waffle-making machine (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) The pancakes are made with more air than usual in the batter giving a precise bouncy texture. 'People never tire of jiggling them on their plates,' Bilal laughs. Behind the counter at the Queen Street store Saif Ul Mahmood, a tech boffin who recently left his job at Curry's to become part-owner at the store, is making the most popular pancake – strawberry and Nutella. Also on the menu are croffles – a croissant which has been put into a waffle-maker – as well as savoury breakfast griddles, which are more like a fried sandwich alongside cheesecakes and more. 'How do you keep your revenue going on pancakes?' Bilal asks. 'It's too niche to just offer soufflé pancakes. It's what we want to be known for and they're very Instagrammable, yes, but we also know it does not aid longevity to rely on one product. You can't even just rely on desserts. Between 9am and 2pm we wouldn't sell a lot if we were only going to do a dessert pancake. What you'll find is most dessert cafés are pivoting to a café aspect now for that reason.' The first Fluffy Fluffy opened in Manchester in 2022. There are now 15 and the company is targeting 20 by the end of the year. Cardiff, Bilal says, is one of the company's top-performing sites. 'Where we'll fall apart,' he adds, 'is if we don't innovate effectively.' No more than 100 yards down the road is Heavenly Desserts, a comparative veteran in the relatively modern world of dessert cafés. The company, which opened in Birmingham in 2008 and now has more than 60 sites in the UK, controversially calls itself the 'home of the croffle'. Heavenly Desserts looks more like a typical sit-in restaurant. They do the classics well – sticky toffee pudding and apple crumble and custard are on the menu. There is also the traditional gelato bar (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) The egg is half a milk chocolate egg shell filled with vanilla cheesecake cream and a mango and passionfruit centre for the yolk (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Manager Zishan Hassan is philosophical about Fluffy Fluffy moving in. 'I'm not bothered about it to be fair. Competition is healthy. I've been in the game long enough to know about the law of attraction. More eateries brings people to the area. As long as your product is good and you're innovative you'll do well.' Article continues below Heavenly Desserts looks more like a typical sit-in restaurant. They do the classics well – sticky toffee pudding and apple crumble and custard are on the menu. There is also the traditional gelato bar. But Zishan agrees the industry is all about innovation and they've recently created their own giant crème egg which they'll sell until the end of May. It's half a milk chocolate egg shell filled with vanilla cheesecake cream and a mango and passionfruit centre for the yolk.
