#CMCHANGE: 5 questions for Sonya Sammut, founder and owner of Sachère Desserts
Sonya Sammut has been a pastry chef for the last 12 years, working with some of the most prestigious restaurants and executive chefs in Montréal. In 2014, she decided to start her own business: Sachère, a gourmet dessert catering company. Made with high quality ingredients and lots of attention to detail, Sachère desserts are uniquely packaged in ready to serve Mason Jars.
Last Friday, Sonya prepared delicious breakfast panna cottas for our CreativeMornings/Montréal #CMChange event. This gave us the opportunity to chat with her about her passion for desserts and how embracing change has let her to start her own business.
Creative Mornings Montreal: How did you become a pastry chef?
Sonya Sammut : I’ve always been a creative person. I took cooking classes for one year at the ITHQ, a cooking school in Montréal, where I specialized in Italian cuisine. Then I started working as a cook in a couple of local restaurants. I liked this experience a lot, especially when I was in charge of preparing desserts. So after three years as a cook, I decided to go back to school and become a pastry chef.
MTLCM: What made you decide to start your own business ?
Sonya Sammut: I am so independent that I wanted to give it a try. After the ITHQ pastry classes, I was working in many restaurants, from Hotel Saint-James where I learned molecular cuisine, to the Casino de Montreal’s kitchens. I had stable jobs for four years but, because of ongoing changes in the Montréal restaurant industry, I had been laid off three times in one year. As restaurants had to cut their expenses, pastry departments are usually the first to go. And so, I thought there could be a market as an independent. Seems I was onto something!
MTLCM: Mason jars have become a signature for Sachère desserts. How did you discover this idea ?
Sonya Sammut: When I started Sachère desserts, I was still working part-time and I wanted to create a unique product that would be easy to deliver. Mason jars are easy to transport, easy to install, the desserts stay fresh and they can be kept for a few days in a fridge. Plus, it’s a fun way to share desserts. The idea really took off!
MTLCM: How do you express your creativity inside the Mason jar?
Sonya Sammut: I am always interested in new ideas. Owning my own business is a great inspiration. Just knowing, when I wake up, that I will be able to create what I want to create is thrilling! I can put very different things inside the jar, depending on the season. I can either show my clients what I can do, or work with their ideas. I really love working with fresh fruits and local vendors. Being responsive to the community is very important to me.
MTLCM: How do change the way you create and adapt your desserts to the community you are evolving in?
Sonya Sammut: The lactose-free and gluten-free markets are a real challenge that I have recently embraced. My mother was lactose-intolerant and some of the people around me were becoming gluten free but creating lactose-free and gluten-free desserts are still completely new to me. I do a lot of research to find products that taste well and hold well. I place a large emphasis on people’s preferences and tastes. Social media like Pinterest and Instagram are perfect tools for that!
If you’re interested in ordering Sachère delicious and creative products, visit sachere.com. Sachère Desserts is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Photos: Tora Chirila (cover) and Sachère dessert
Text: Sarah Meublat
