WORDS: BELINDA MOUNTAIN | IMAGES: SUPPLIED
Formerly operating from a market stall at 1 Fox Precinct, director Jeffrey Teddy Zaki says this new store will be their flagship. “We waited forever to get a store here, but it was well worth it because we fully believe that Hyde Park is the only place where our brand will thrive.”
This family-owned business is made up of individuals from both Lebanese and French descent, and this beautiful combination is central to the brand’s DNA. “My father Teddy was the runner-up in the BBC Great South African Bake Off and we’re blessed that this has generated momentum for us,” says Jeffrey. He is a qualified restaurant accountant and operator and his sister is a professional pastry chef, while he says his mother keeps them all together and plays peacemaker. “I believe that my family is the unique selling point of this business and are the only reason that it works,” he says.
The store will be a “vehicle of luxury” − think high teas, luxury cocktails and the fi nest pastries, providing a total feast for the eye and successfully combining new luxury with treasured traditions. Whether it’s nibbling on a quirky unicorn macaron, biting into a pillowy scone smothered in cream, or sipping on some fragrant Earl Grey – Just Teddy will offer something for all tastes.
The store opened on 23 March and according to Jeffrey has been packed with clientele eager to try out their various pastries and treats. “My grandparents were stowaways from Lebanon and paved their way to success. I believe that this ‘rags to riches’ story is deeply engraved within my family, in the same way that Just Teddy initially started as a market pop-up store,” says Jeffrey. It’s gratifying to see then that hard work and pushing yourselves to the limit, can eventually lead to sweet success.
“The store will be a ‘vehicle of luxury’ – think high teas, luxury cocktails and the finest pastries” JEFFREY TEDDY ZAKI, DIRECTOR
Just Teddy
011 339 1647
Instagram: @just_teddy
justteddy.co.za
