Socker Sucker is the coming together of two creative souls with an exquisite sense of taste, who joined forces to open a patisserie and bakery in the heart of Stockholm. Frida Bäcke and Bedros Kabranian’s decision to start their own business was no wild gamble, but rather part of a well-thought-out plan. The seed of the idea of opening their own bakery was sown many years ago when the two worked together. They realized that they enjoyed working together, had similar ideas and were equally passionate about baking. They were also both driven by the idea of providing new taste sensations and developing both themselves and their products – something that can be difficult to do when working for somebody else.
“Of course, there were occasions when you had the chance to try to develop a product, but there was seldom enough time as making the everyday products took up so much time,” explains Bedros, who continues:
“Today, we do exactly what we want to do. We continue to develop the product until we feel we have nailed it, and that it is worthy of being served to our customers.”
Both have their roots in the restaurant industry. Bedros worked as both a restaurant manager and restaurateur in his early years, before retraining as a baker. Frida previously worked as specialist pastry chef – and not just any pastry chef, but one who was responsible for the desserts for the Swedish national culinary team, which resulted in her winning a gold medal in the Culinary World Cup. Both Frida and Bedros are well-known within the industry, not only in Sweden but also internationally. Bedros is a popular course leader, which has taken him all over the world, and his travels have brought him both new friends and professional inspiration.
But why did they choose Sveba Dahlen as a supplier when the time came to start their own business?
“Sveba was actually the obvious choice. I always recommend Sveba Dahlen when I’m out teaching courses,” says Bedros. Frida continues:
“Absolutely, the ovens give the best baking results, it’s as simple as that! They are easy to use, and we are also used to them from our previous workplaces. When you occasionally bake in other ovens, you really understand just how good Sveba’s ovens are, because you just put the rack in and then the oven does the rest, you don’t have to think too much about it.”
Socker Sucker is divided into two parts – a bakery that Bedros is responsible for, and a patisserie where Frida is in charge. The team also includes four employees who work in the bakery and patisserie, and who take care of the café, dishwashing, and orders.
The café area is decorated in classic Scandinavian, stripped-down style, and as soon as the customers walk through the door it is clear that they have entered somewhere that is a little out of the ordinary, where tastes, colors and design are of key importance.
“We have, for example, chosen to only display a small number of our pastries in the counter. We want to recreate the feeling of choosing a jewel in a jewelry shop,” says Frida.
To increase the association with a jewelry shop, the price signs are punched out in gold, and customers need to ask questions about the items in front of them, as there are no information signs:
“The whole idea is that we will get the chance to talk to the customer about what they have to look forward to,” explains Bedros, who continues:
“We want to explain about the contents, textures and flavors so that people understand the work that has gone into it, and this will probably enhance their enjoyment.”
There are undeniably some fantastic-looking products behind the counter, and as a customer you want to taste everything! There is a high rate of production here, and it is impossible not to be impressed by the way the workflow is structured. Baking involves many different steps, and each item is carefully planned to ensure that the end product will be ready at the right time.
To help with the production, they have a Sveba Dahlen deck oven equipped with stone and an electric C-Series rack oven, as well as an F500 proofer. These are complemented with a Rondo rolling machine, Daub dough divider, Escher dough mixer and Varimixer mixer, all of which were supplied by Sveba Dahlen.
"The installation process was very smooth,” says Frida, and continues:
“The service technicians came and carried in the machines, and they helped us start them up after installation, and then we just got baking!”
And they are still baking, and there is an undeniably beautiful aroma emanating from Socker Sucker on Drottninggatan!
