Shahnaz Bagherzadeh
Founder of Vivel Patisserie
Photography by Ausra Osipaviciute
Don’t be fooled by her diminutive stature —Shahnaz Bagherzadeh is a giant of the UAE’s pastry scene. A true pioneer of women in the Emirati workplace, this hard-working Iranian pâtissière was once busy pushing boundaries by building a following for the baked goods that flew out of her own kitchen, before finally opening her dream patisserie in 1992. “I started with about 20 home-made recipes learned from my grandmother, and later from other famous women in Iran and the region who were hand-crafting these sweets,” Shahnaz told MOJEH earlier this year. “I brought these recipes to Dubai and fine-tuned them with more refined ingredients. Those sweets are still some of our best-selling products today. As for the rest of the sweets, confectionary, chocolates and tea, we work with artisan producers based in Iran, Turkey, France, Italy and Switzerland. They are the best in their fields and use only the highest quality ingredients.” She makes it sound easy — but battling for a place in a male-dominated market while raising a family was a huge challenge that Shahnaz overcame bravely. Her success has continued throughout the decades, earning Vivel Patisserie a reputation to rival the top French bakers, culminating with the recent opening of an international branch of Vivel in Tokyo. But Shahnaz is clear about what’s made her such a Dubai institution — and it all begins at home. “Relationships and trust are the most important,” she says. “I love my products and all my customers, and this love has translated to trust and successful relationships over the years. You can never be afraid of challenges. Never give up and believe in yourself.” And if all else fails, there are few problems that can’t be solved with a taste of grandmother’s homemade delicacies — after all, it’s certainly worked for Shahnaz.
