Dubai is the regional hub for local and international gastronomy, with the full spectrum of restaurants, cafes and dining hotspots generously scattered throughout the city. A melting pot of flavours, Dubai’s exciting food scene has evolved over the years, but it still retains influences from its Bedouin past and strong culture of hospitality. Today, Dubai’s dynamic food and beverage industry has it all – from restaurants run by Michelin-starred chefs to simple street-side eateries, from quirky dishes and innovative concepts to traditional menus from the region and beyond. And then there is the growing number of home-grown bakeries and confectionaries which are, through their fresh take on timeless traditions, raising Dubai’s culinary credentials for the sweetest of reasons. The unique flavours and recipes served up at these businesses tell the story of the talented gourmands who, through their determination and ambition, followed their dreams after finding the right platform for success in Dubai, supported by the emirate’s thriving entrepreneurial culture. The biggest success stories include SugarMoo, Home Bakery, Gossip Cafe and Desserts, and The Candy Bar – and all of which deserve a visit on your next trip to Dubai. In 2014, SugarMoo CEO and founder Raki Phillips decided to leave the corporate world to pursue her entrepreneurial passion and start the UAE’s first online dessert delivery business. Capitalising on Dubai’s buoyant F&B industry with first-mover advantage, SugarMoo began delivering freshly baked homemade desserts to homes and offices across Dubai. “Our aim,” says Raki, “is to make people’s lives not only sweeter, but also a lot easier when a sweet craving kicks in or when there’s a celebration to be had. And, to be competitive, we had to offer something new, something the market hadn’t seen before. After extensive market research we found that most dessert establishments in the market were focused on either Arabian sweets or cupcakes, and so we decided on an ‘anti-cupcake’ strategy, launching the concept of unique ‘hybrid’ desserts – a fresh new addition to the Dubai market.”. Pioneers of the ‘Cupookie’ – a cookie shaped into a cup – SugarMoo also caters to the health-conscious sweet-tooth with its ‘HealthyMoo’ line consisting of vegan desserts and refined sugar-free creations. Driven by the motto, ‘You Crave, We Deliver,’ SugarMoo today enjoys a phenomenal following, having become a household name across the emirates. For former housewife and mother of two Hind Almulla, it was her natural love of baking and determination to take the dessert experience to a whole new level that inspired her to launch Home Bakery in 2011. With a menu that changes every six months and a setting that makes every visit to this small café a cosy encounter, Home Bakery is loved for its friendly appeal, intimate hospitality and delightful selection of cakes, cookies, pies, brownies, loaves, tarts, pastries and muffins. “With new concepts opening every week, it is important that restaurant owners do everything they can to make their offering interesting,” says Hind. “I didn’t want my place to be a pick-up shop; I wanted to create a destination where people want to enjoy desserts in a dine-in setting and appreciate the littlest details that go into baking these creations.” So, what makes Dubai the perfect venue for Home Bakery? “It is a people’s city; a city that people visit to try out new things, new experiences,” explains Hind. “Home Bakery is a new concept in the world of bakery, and I couldn’t think of a better place than Dubai to set it up.” For Emirati business owner Shayma Nawaf Fawwaz, it was the dream of establishing a home-grown brand with local influences that could go international that led her to launch her Euro-American fusion eatery, Gossip Cafe and Desserts. “The motivation behind the cafe was my passion for gourmet food, delectable desserts, and art and fashion, fused with my natural connection with my Emirati heritage,” explains Shayma. “Bringing