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After years of cooking and baking, Pâtissière and owner Arshiya Farheen decided to make her love for baking into a profession. She spent over a year in Paris, where she studied at the French school of culinary arts: Ferrandi, Lenotre and Christophe Michalak Masterclass; worked at hotel Le Meurice and at boulangerie-pâtisserie Delmontel. She returned to her hometown in Chicago and with the help and support of her husband and business partner Aqeel, began her career by selling at the Green City Market as well as supplying to hotels, coffee shops and now, about 15 Whole Foods stores in and around Chicago. 

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Culture and Values:

• Growing up in India, we had always been connected to the source of our food and the belief that what we eat has a direct impact on our community and environment.

• As a vendor at the Chicago’s Green City Farmers Market for about six years, we have continued to stay connected by actively sourcing local and sustainably grown/raised ingredients to make our products.

• At Verzênay we predominantly promote hiring women as Chef Arshiya and Aqeel understand the challenges that women face and the support that’s vital to help them grow.

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Mission and Vision:

• At Verzênay, we are all about sharing our passion for artisanally crafted savory and sweet baked goods, pastries and desserts, using all natural ingredients including natural colors and extracts. We source many of our key ingredients locally when possible. Our chocolate comes from companies that use sustainable cocoa.  

• Every product we make is a refinement in flavor, texture and appearance, and we want our customers and clients to experience the pleasure in savoring our products, as we had in making it for them.

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