RIYADH: Since he was a young child, Mohammad Mashat has spent many hours in the kitchen creating cakes, pastries and sweets with his mother and sister.
He helped his mother to run her home-based business before she founded Strawberry and Cheese bakery shop in Makkah about nine years ago.
The UK-educated civil engineer and his sister, who both enjoy baking, enrolled at one of the world’s most prestigious culinary schools, Le Cordon Bleu, in Paris to follow their passion.
Some creations of the young baker Mohammad Mashat. (Supplied)
“I especially enjoyed baking cakes for my friends on their birthdays, special occasions and other celebrations when I was a student of civil engineering in the UK. This was because I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with my mother when I was younger,” 27-year-old Mashat told Arab News.
“I had the chance to enroll at Cordon Bleu in 2020. After doing an internship in Michalak, I returned to Saudi Arabia and worked at my mother’s bakery,” he said.
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His time at Cordon Bleu gave him a wealth of knowledge about how kitchens function and how to select the highest-quality ingredients.
Mashat brought his experience back to Saudi Arabia and created a croissant for his mother’s store. “My French butter croissant was the talk of the town because my mother’s little shop in Makkah had the yummiest croissant that was selling quickly every day.”
Another hot item in his mother’s bakery are cheesecake pops — that are sold out every day.
This inspired him to open Patisserie Mo, a bakery in Jeddah.
Some creations of the young baker Mohammad Mashat. (Supplied)
His time at Cordon Bleu gave him a wealth of knowledge about how kitchens function and how to select the highest-quality ingredients. The customer experience at Patisserie Mo is distinct because the bakery chef asks the right questions to make a cake with perfect flavors that is responsive to his market.
Mashat enjoys spending time with his clients because some of them have dietary restrictions, allergies or specific requests.
“Our best-selling flavor is chocolate, which we create using only the finest French chocolate. We also have a lovely cake flavor made with lavender that I cook and extract.”
Some creations of the young baker Mohammad Mashat. (Supplied)
According to Mashat, many people enjoy fruit cakes, so he likes to create fresh mango cakes for his customers.
Mashat thinks that because people have an appetite for delicious cakes with beautiful designs and the highest-quality ingredients, the specialized baking market is booming in Saudi Arabia despite fierce competition.
“I adore creating and baking cakes, so I don’t feel fatigued or pressed for time. Once, I had an order of 400 eclairs and mille feuille that I had to deliver the next day; it was intense and bizarre, but the satisfaction I felt after was worth it.”
In future, Mashat hopes to take his brand to other places in Saudi Arabia. He has taught young people interested in baking through workshop sessions in the past, and one day he hopes to host his own masterclass.
https://www.instagram.com/patisserie_mo/
