Food over fitness – that was the choice Musabeh Essa Alfardh Alali and his brothers, Ahmed and Mohammed, made when they decided it was time to make their business mark on the UAE.
“There were so many ideas of what sort of business to make, such as a gym that has lots of exercises explained on an iPad so any trainer can learn,” Alali says. “But after we did a bit of research, we found out that the most successful businesses are food and beverage businesses.”
This realisation led them down the foodie path. They wanted their business to be unique, allowing prospective customers to try something new. In 2013, Fashion Sweets was born.
“We planned to start with unique treats – cookies with unique style and taste, and to have a unique logo – a cute owl that can be memorised fast.”
Baking was a hobby for the Alalis before their business began, but they’ve since put themselves through courses in Dubai and learnt as much as possible via the internet and magazines.
“Our biggest inspirations are Laura Vitale and Byron Talbott, the best [foodie] YouTubers. We have learnt a lot from their work,” says Alali. “I love all kind of baking, however I always want to create my own way, so [when] I find a recipe, I like to change it and make it different.”
The first treats to come off their production line were branded chocolate-filled cookies, which were made with Nutella, Kinder, Hershey’s, M&Ms and Galaxy. While the passion was in full supply, there were some challenges – for one, men being in the kitchen was a hard sell to their father.
“My father, Essa Alfardh, has always encouraged us to make our own business, but he was against men in the kitchen,” the 26-year-old says.
But the trio persevered, and launched the first Fashion Sweets Cafe in Umm Al Quwain City in September. It began mainly as a takeaway establishment, but they plan to turn it into more of a sit-down dining spot in the future.
What is your favourite book?
Any of Manuela Kjeilen’s books on baking.
Do you have a favourite recipe?
I love my cookies and cup cookie recipe – loved by all our customers.
Describe yourself in three words.
Loving, laughing, gentle.
What's your favourite place to travel to?
Europe. I love it for the weather and the greenery.
What's your biggest weakness when it comes to cooking?
Fish. I cannot cook it or eat it well. Someone else will help me to get it done.
What CD do you currently have playing in your car?
Rashed Al Majed is my favourite.
Which famous cook inspires you?
Gordon Ramsay, because he is a chef who knows how to cook all kind of dishes. He has branches of his business all over the world. He started MasterChef in the United Sates, and that is my dream one day, to be a chef and to make my first programme for MasterChef.
If you could have a superpower what would it be?
I would love to be perfect in all skills – games, cooking, driving, flying, wizardry, maybe.
What do you do to relax?
A bath with ice will do.
mhealy@thenational.ae
Spider-Man: No Way Home
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Stars: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon
Rating:*****
ENGLAND TEAM
England (15-1)
George Furbank; Jonny May, Manu Tuilagi, Owen Farrell (capt), Elliot Daly; George Ford, Ben Youngs; Tom Curry, Sam Underhill, Courtney Lawes; Charlie Ewels, Maro Itoje; Kyle Sinckler, Jamie George, Joe Marler
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, George Kruis, Lewis Ludlam, Willi Heinz, Ollie Devoto, Jonathan Joseph
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Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Mubalada World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Honeymoonish
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2 stars
Votes
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Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes
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High profile Al Shabab attacks
- 2010: A restaurant attack in Kampala Uganda kills 74 people watching a Fifa World Cup final football match.
- 2013: The Westgate shopping mall attack, 62 civilians, five Kenyan soldiers and four gunmen are killed.
- 2014: A series of bombings and shootings across Kenya sees scores of civilians killed.
- 2015: Four gunmen attack Garissa University College in northeastern Kenya and take over 700 students hostage, killing those who identified as Christian; 148 die and 79 more are injured.
- 2016: An attack on a Kenyan military base in El Adde Somalia kills 180 soldiers.
- 2017: A suicide truck bombing outside the Safari Hotel in Mogadishu kills 587 people and destroys several city blocks, making it the deadliest attack by the group and the worst in Somalia’s history.
Company%C2%A0profile
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Brief scores:
QPR 0
Watford 1
Capoue 45' 1
'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster
Racecard
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BeIN Sports currently has the rights to show
- Champions League
- English Premier League
- Spanish Primera Liga
- Italian, French and Scottish leagues
- Wimbledon and other tennis majors
- Formula One
- Rugby Union - Six Nations and European Cups
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
