Our Story
A lockdown, a measuring cup, and a moment of clarity
Our founder, Ola Madi, arrived in Dubai with a lifetime in banking behind her and a city full of ambition ahead. Then lockdown arrived first. Stuck at home in early 2020, with no spreadsheets to run and plenty of untouched potential, Ola picked up a measuring cup and started baking.
She skipped the banana bread entirely and went straight to chocolate. Her first batch of brownies was, by all accounts, something else. The neighbours couldn't stop asking for them. They became a fixture at every table, every gathering.
A daughter named Valeria changed everything
A few months into lockdown, Ola found out she was pregnant. Valeria, her first daughter, would become the quiet catalyst for everything that followed. Planning Valeria's first birthday, Ola saw it clearly: she wasn't just making brownies for the neighbours anymore — she was ready to share her talent with the whole city.
That birthday event became a mission. Word spread. Orders followed. And the desserts — the cheesecakes, the cakes, the pastries — began to take on a life of their own.
"It's more than a pastry shop — it's a destination where every visit is an experience in exceptional taste and culinary artistry."
Beyond Velvet — a homegrown Dubai brand
The flagship store was born on Palm Jumeirah. Bright, fresh, gold and white tones, lush green banana leaf plants, and the smell of something extraordinary baking. A live pastry kitchen where guests could watch croissants and breads come to life. A specialty coffee bar manned by the best baristas in the city, serving single-origin beans from Uganda, Ethiopia, Brazil, and Colombia.
Today we have two locations, a full breakfast and lunch menu, and a pastry counter that still surprises people every single day. But the core of it — the care, the craft, the passion — is exactly the same as that first batch of brownies in 2020.
