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Chef Arshiya Farheen

After years of cooking and baking, Chef pâtissière and owner Arshiya 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 school and Christophe Michalak Masterclass. She then worked at hotel Le Meurice, headed by chef Cedric Grolet and at boulangerie-pâtisserie Delmontel. She returned to her hometown in Chicago in 2014 and with the help and support of her husband and business partner Aqeel, furthered her career by selling at the Green City Market as well as supplying pastries to hotels like the Drake, Palmer House & Le Meridien, coffee shops and about 15 Whole Foods stores in and around Chicago. 

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Culture and Values at Verzenay:

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

• As a vendor at Chicago’s Green City Farmers Market since 2014, they have continued to stay connected by actively sourcing local and sustainably grown/raised ingredients.

• At Verzênay, they predominantly promote hiring women as they 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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