Dessertbox: More than just boxed love
- Leen Ahmed
- Jul 13, 2021
- 3 min read
By Leen Ahmed
They say that passion makes the world go round and when looking at the wonderful ideas that passion has birthed into this world, home-baker Fathima Zaeem, or better known as Faathy, truly takes the limelight in her hometown.
Look up dessertbox.mv on Instagram and I can promise, you will be rewarded with a masterpiece of an Instagram profile that satisfies both your eyes and sweet cravings if you happen to be in the capital city of Maldives, Male’ or the neighbouring island, Hulhumale’.
Pouring her love into an array of desserts (cakesicles, brownies, tarts, pavlovas, cookies- you name it), within just over a year and a half, Faathy has gained not only the attention of the small-knit community in Maldives but the digital global platform. And what started out as just one foot outside of her comfort zone, has changed her life.
Faathy, 21, has always dreamt of owning a restaurant, and this thought laid the foundation of her stunning baking business. With a bubbling laugh, Faathy begins with her earliest memories in the kitchen that were quite the opposite of anything sweet; she reminisced about making sausage rolls with her sisters.
Initially having no plan of venturing forth specifically towards the baking business, Faathy began her culinary life dabbling in all sorts of recipes as made abundantly clear by her first memories. And in late 2019 she decided to give baking a go, and the unique ideas hovering around the thought of a goodie-filled box came to her as if the creative floodgates had burst open.
“I started doing this and I realized, I'm not really that bad at it so why not give this a go. And then, the more that I kept experimenting the more I realized that I actually really love doing this.”
And through this humble beginning Faathy discovered that her true potential lay in bringing “that little aesthetic, creative aspect” into the desserts she crafted. And those around her saw that from the very moment she stepped into the kitchen.
Her sister, Asiya, lovingly said that she did not doubt her sister’s success. “Not one bit... Her desserts are amazing, so I had no doubt she would succeed”.
The fact that Faathy is talented is unquestionable, all that was left for her to do was put her best foot forward. As aptly stated by her boyfriend, Avsam who truly believed that Faathy’s food was restaurant-worthy from the very first bite: “It was her dream, but like every young passionate artist she was afraid it wouldn’t kickstart. She just needed a push.”
Undoubtedly, her choice to push herself forwards and make that brave step is now an act that thousands are incredibly grateful for.
Her take on Van Gogh’s art displayed on an array of vanilla cakesicles (cake in the shape of popsicles) is eternalized in the artist’s virtual museum as an instagram post with over 70,000 likes.
Source: https://www.instagram.com/vangoghmuseum/
But of course, no success story is without failure and obstacles. And like many before her, Faathy had to overcome challenges rapidly to gain even footing in the crowded baking scene. Going in blind, Faathy says that she was only a self-taught baker in “a super, super competitive field,” and she expresses that the hardest part for her was to figure out how to stay in the game and keep customers interested.
Despite her initial misgivings, Faathy has exceeded her own expectations, because she is admittedly most well-known for the incredible taste of everything she puts out on the table, and the beauty and efficiency of her work.
Her trademark dessert boxes have become a hit in the community, always filled and decorated to perfection and the perfect embodiment of, may I say, the ‘cottage-core aesthetic’ that is a feast to the eyes.
Hoping to one day open up a bakery, Faathy’s final advice to young entrepreneurs out there is a hopeful message,: “If you love what you're doing and you see yourself wanting to do this even in the future then don't give up, you can get through it, no matter how hard it gets.”
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