As the saying goes, no one dislikes a sweet. And this could precisely be the motto of Jéssica Morales, Rosamy, and Arany Ramos, from Pastelería Arjery, a business that offers personalized artisanal products in the heart of the La Vega neighborhood. In an interview on the radio program Más de Uno Gourmet on Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero, they reveal the story behind their business and the products they offer.
- Where are you from?
Rosamy: We are from Lanzarote all our lives, but it's true that my father, for work reasons, was always moving around and we lived in many places like the mainland, in Tenerife, and we have been settled here since I was about seven or eight years old.
- Why did you decide to open a pastry shop?
Jéssica: I have always liked to cook and the truth is that between us we have always tried to start something. We didn't care if it was pastry or cooking, we didn't care. The point was to start something together because she handles all the paperwork and I handle the kitchen part, so we had the package covered. I trained in pastry and cooking and we worked for others for years, but it's true that at home we would make these little things or even for friends, and the opportunity arose at the end of 2022 from a gentleman who was selling the pastry shop.
- What did you consider when opening the pastry shop?
Jéssica: We had always wanted to do courses, workshops, and train people, but when we took over this pastry shop that already had its clients, it was difficult because those clients were the ones who paid our bills, so to speak, but of course, I didn't want to produce something that was already made. So, we are always innovating, making cakes with design, as something exclusively ours, and our delicacies. All those little things that we want to differentiate us from what was there.
- Little by little you have been changing the products from the previous pastry shop. How has it been?
Jéssica: They still miss some products or the price and they tell you: 'I came the other day and the gentleman sold me a cake'. It has nothing to do with when you do something classic, when you work for hotels, compared to when you make your own main creation. The customer is the one who recreates their cake, you order your sponge cake and your filling, it's not a sponge cake that you have, but we design your cake. With your information or what you have in mind, we try to capture it on the cake with your flavor, your design, etc.
- Do you also work for hotels?
Jéssica: Yes, those were the ones the previous pastry shop had.
- Has being at different fairs like Navilán made more people go to the pastry shop?
Jéssica: Yes, it has been boosted. What happens is that when we set up at an event, we adapt to it and bring different things, we always try to manufacture for that. Then, in the day-to-day, we don't manufacture it unless it's by order. Cinnamon rolls, or New York rolls, we only make them on Fridays at the pastry shop because from Monday to Thursday we are manufacturing for our clients.
- Arany, being an influencer, comes into play here to make people look for you...
Arany: Normally when people try it, they tell me: 'Oh, but if you work here, then it's advertising', but then after they try it, they say: 'Oh, well, normal'. I always tell them that I don't lie, if I sell something it's because I like it. If I hadn't liked it, I wouldn't have sold it. In fact, I am very critical in the pastry shop and things are made to my taste. In the end, I'm the one who tries it (laughs).
- How do you manage social media?
Jéssica: Normally there is always communication behind it and Arany, when she records, she doesn't try it beforehand, but she always does it spontaneously. More or less the team works together and when a video is made, there is work behind it.
- This year you had the opportunity to be at Madrid Fusión. How was it?
Jéssica: I am very expressive, so I jumped for joy and then my sister is the one who brings me down and tells me we have to focus. I am very "conejera" (from Lanzarote) and since we work with many zero-kilometer products, we wanted to present something with sweet potato. It is true that we have the sweet potato wafer all year round, but we wanted to present something exclusive for it.
We set out to find something of our own with the sweet potato and in the end we invented a product with phyllo dough, cornstarch, flour, water and a good laminator, in addition to our sweet potato filling, and the truth is that it was a success at Madrid Fusión because in the end it is very crunchy.
- What has been the public's response at Madrid Fusión?
Rosamy: Very good. The sweet potato might put some people off there, but hey, I think sweet potato is a little more known now, although they know the yellow one more. The truth is that people there tried it and it was fantastic, people loved it.
- Did you encounter any obstacles at Madrid Fusión or were you satisfied with the final product?
Jéssica: Yes, we were satisfied. Besides, they welcomed us very well. We had a kitchen, a person in charge, and good organization. The truth is that it was very good, but it's true that to get there we had to do a lot of testing in the pastry shop and simplify.
We all started working, looking at the speed, how they turned out, or how long they needed in the oven. We made a trout dough with the recipe they had given us, so to speak, but we tried it and we didn't like it. So we threw away all that dough and made another one. When we tried it ourselves, the feeling was: this is trout. And that's what I'm looking for.
- Where do you see yourselves in a year?
Jéssica: I hope to continue, at least, paying the bills at the pastry shop (laughs).
Rosamy: I'm looking for more, I always want more.
- What can people do to be part of the Saborea Lanzarote project?
Jéssica: It's costing us because we don't have any connections. I registered for Saborea and thankfully they have helped us because in the end people from here helped us grow. When you have a good product with a good foundation behind it, in the end you earn your place.
- Where is the pastry shop located?
Rosamy: We are in Arrecife on Calle Góngora, number 29, in unit 3. Our opening hours are from 08:00 to 15:00 for the public.