In 2009, Lisa Sanguedolce attended a cupcake decorating class in the home of a cake decorator in South London. She fell in love with the tactile and delicious experience and decided she wanted to replicate it.
Lisa taught herself the art of cake decorating, working tirelessly from her tiny London flat with an even tinier oven. Hosting classes at a friend’s deli in Notting Hill and taking orders from her small kitchen while juggling a full time job made her realize, it was time to make a choice. Leaving her job in PR she turned her passion for cupcakes into something bigger.
In 2011, upon returning to Toronto Lisa started Le Dolci, Toronto’s fun foodie studio. Le Dolci offered guests a unique cupcake-decorating experience. The business started with one class in 2011 and now has over 15 different classes for all levels including Parisian macaron making, croissants, soufflé, breads, marshmallow, pies and more. There are single classes and longer courses like 4 & 6 week baking and decorating boot camps.
“We were lucky to find a new home in an airy studio with hardwood floors & exposed brick in the heart of downtown Toronto, just three kilometers from the CN Tower”.
Le Dolci has since expanded to create custom cakes and wholesale catering. Chefs and cake designers create branded cupcakes, cakes, cookies and custom desserts for clients large and small including Toronto’s Pearson Airport.
Le Dolci also offers corporate team-building activities & rents out its space for meetings, private parties, product launches, film shoots, mini conferences, sales meetings and more. For all clients, Lisa and her team sit down with them to come up with a fun and interactive programme. Each event is customized to allow guests to unleash their inner five-year-old or Julia Child. Decorating cupcakes, baking pies or watching their croissants puff up and turn that perfect golden brown color is a guaranteed formula for fun. Tactile, interactive and delicious, everyone leaves with a smile and a box full of homemade treats.
“People are always looking for a unique idea for a team-building event or something different for their meeting, conference, wedding, bachelorette or birthday party,” Lisa says. “We help people planning events come up with something delicious and fun. They remember the dough under their hands, the smells of a warm bakery and the sweetness of the buttercream. And when they get home their families are happy to see them.”
Le Dolci is a small family business – they are flexible and pride themselves on accommodating the needs of a wide variety of clients, offering a personal touch to all.
“We love sweets, of course. But mostly, we love the connections we make with the people we work with. Whether we create custom treats, design a unique cake, or host a culinary workshop for two or two hundred guests, we love being a part of our clients’ special occasions,” Lisa explains.
Le Dolci has hosted teams from across Canada as part of their existing meeting programme or has created full days of events for guests centered on delicious discoveries. Clients from all industries like Google, Royal Bank, Union Gas, Trend Hunter & The University of Toronto have all participated in the last 2 years.
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