Today we’d like to introduce you to Lele Barlaro.
Hi Lele, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised in Argentina. From a very young age, I have been interested in cooking. I liked to watch my mother in the kitchen when she prepared her delicious cakes. I loved to read her cookbooks and dreamed of having my bakery. Then came the time of the university and I decided to study Architecture.
During that time, I started making classic cakes to order. I worked for many years as an architect, in Argentina. In 2005, we moved to Puerto Rico with my husband, because of his work. We lived there for 5 years. I worked in an architectural studio there but my desire to explore my passion for baking as a profession increased.
This is how after the birth of my first child I decided to take a break from my career and be able to focus more on the bakery. We moved to Miami in 2010 and that’s when I decided to start my company Lele Patisserie.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a road of many challenges Being mainly self-taught, the path has been trial and error until achieving a good original and quality product.
Starting a business is not easy and requires a lot of dedication and effort. I have always wanted to improve. That’s why I always try to continue learning by doing pastry courses. It has also been a challenge to also find a balance between personal and family life.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I prepare and sell classic pastries with modern and avant-garde details. But at the same time, I want it to be a pastry that reminds me of the flavors of childhood, those family gatherings, and traditions.
What joy it gives me to know that each of the cakes that I am preparing will be part of some celebration: reunions, birthday celebrations, anniversaries… I like to think of them as bites of happiness. The thought that I can illuminate someone’s soul with something I prepare is a privilege and an honor. Hopefully, they can transmit the love and dedication that I put in when preparing them. I hope they are perfect for the occasion. Because there is nothing more beautiful than cooking and sharing from the heart…
Orders are in demand. With that, I ensure a final product of quality and freshness. I use the best quality ingredients. Cakes, alfajores, and sweet mini-bites you will find in Lele Patisserie.
We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I love to write about food. If you visit my IG you will find stories connected with recipes. A recipe is magical when it keeps a beautiful story, an anecdote, a memory, or a family tradition. The one that takes us back with its smells and flavors to that moment. That when doing this, it brings you closer, wherever you are, to that person who taught it to you.
I love to share a compilation of recipes that I have accompanied me during my childhood, that I have collected, inherited, and lent me. Hope one day I can publish a book.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @lele_patisserie_
