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Sweet, sweet treats<br />
There’s nothing ‘just’ about Just Teddy ... the glam Parisian-meets-Middle East<br />
pâtisserie that may well be the most desirable store in Hyde Park Corner.<br />
Text: TAYLA BLAIRE. Photos: That Food Guy Publishing - a division of That Food Guy Group.<br />
Ever since Just Teddy opened in Hyde<br />
Park almost exactly three years ago,<br />
our taste buds have been teased,<br />
tantilised and thoroughly treated.<br />
And with Easter around the corner,<br />
it’s about to get even better. Being<br />
Catholic, it’s an exciting time for the<br />
Zaki family ... and as we get closer to<br />
the Easter weekend, customers of<br />
this posh pâtisserie can expect to see<br />
a lot of fruity hot cross buns, Easterinspired<br />
pâtisserie, and an avalanche<br />
of chocolate in all forms. “Our window<br />
displays will feature pastel-inspired<br />
macaron towers and the cutest<br />
Easter bunnies setting the scene for a<br />
Joyeuses Pàques” says Teddy.<br />
But it hasn’t all been smooth-aschocolate-ganache<br />
sailing for the<br />
family or the brand, which started<br />
off as a market stall at 1 Fox Street<br />
half a dozen years ago. “After three<br />
years there, we had outgrown our<br />
surroundings and needed a home<br />
to showcase our brand. Hyde Park<br />
Corner just felt like the right place<br />
to be,” Teddy explains. “The journey<br />
from application to store opening<br />
took eight months. And the first year<br />
was exhausting, hectic, and very<br />
scary! But we took advice from our<br />
customers, tested the market and,<br />
most importantly, made our presence<br />
as a family visible at all times. All of this<br />
has shaped Just Teddy into the brand<br />
that it is today.”<br />
And what a brand. The Hyde Park<br />
store is all elegant florals and touches<br />
of gold and an abundance of all<br />
things delicious ... as you sink into your<br />
seat and take in the impressive menu,<br />
you know you’ve arrived!<br />
Teddy’s quick to point out that family<br />
is key to their success – not just in<br />
ethos, but from a business perspective<br />
too. “One of the many charms of our<br />
store is that it is family-run. I oversee<br />
the pastry counter, my son Jeff takes<br />
care of the bread, and my daughter<br />
Jordyne the macaron and petit<br />
fours. My wife maintains the balance<br />
on the restaurant floor. Apart from<br />
this, we each have our business<br />
and admin duties that we have to<br />
fit into our daily schedule. People<br />
sometimes forget that although you<br />
are running a pâtisserie, there is still<br />
the crucial financial aspect<br />
that has to be balanced<br />
and nurtured.”<br />
The pâtisserie is<br />
unusual since it<br />
blends traditional<br />
Parisian influences<br />
with the family’s<br />
Middle Eastern origins.<br />
“Being Lebanese<br />
with French<br />
ancestry, it seemed to be the ideal<br />
combination. The two marry together<br />
beautifully. We wanted to be different,<br />
to offer a unique experience and<br />
this fusion allowed us to do just that,”<br />
Teddy says.<br />
Running a restaurant and pâtisserie<br />
doesn’t allow the family much<br />
down time. “Just Teddy is a 24/7/365<br />
operation. Teddy’s day kicks off at<br />
7am, making sure they’re ready for<br />
customers, who stream in from<br />
half an hour later. “As a<br />
family, we manage<br />
all areas of the store<br />
and baking areas<br />
during the<br />
day. The store<br />
closes at<br />
12 Get It Magazine <strong>April</strong> <strong>22</strong>
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