Melbourne’s Rosemary Andrews, a former head chef at Ben Shewry’s Attica Summer Camp where her dessert trolley became legendary, gives cakes their true value by displaying them like fine jewellery or a sought-after handbag, on brass plinths and under glass cloches. Her fans were ready to feast and willing to queue as soon as the much-feted Chef opened her first shop, Mietta by Rosemary, which means ‘sweet little thing’ in late 2023, and the crowds turn out every weekend to try and snaffle a slice of eight-layer Carrot Cake Dreams, seven-layer OG Honey-Misu, two-texture Valrhona Chocolate Cake, or Negroni Chocolate Tart. Can you take any more layers - Andrews’ covetable Guinness Chocolate Cake has 16! She began baking at home as a teenager and has worked in London with Gordon Ramsay, and at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and The Ledbury, before finding her niche in Melbourne during the pandemic with her dessert box business. Mietta By Rosemary is a long-term pop-up, so get there before it goes!

Christophe Louie, the undisputed king of Italian baking in Paris, opened his Haut-Marais shop dedicated to the wonder of Panettone in late 2023, making it a true first for the French capital. Louie trained as a pastry chef, working at La Grande Épicerie de Paris, Le Meurice, and Le Jules Verne before turning his attention to the magic of bread and training with Mauro Morandin in Italy. He was so inspired by Morandin that he named his own sourdough leaven ‘Mauro’, and brought it back to Paris to reinterpret the Italian classics of Panettone, Focaccia, Pandoro, and Colombe. His Panettone flavors include classic, Gianduja, and orange blossom; Pandoro comes in vanilla and chestnut honey. Louie also has a focus on specialist breads made with sourdough and ancient grains, exquisite viennoiserie, classic cakes such as financiers, madeleines, flan, and marble cake, along with savouries such as pizza and sandwiches. Viva Italia!

Angelo Musa’s outstanding Dubai opening is a tribute to exceptional pastry and hospitality. The world-renowned Executive Pastry Chef at the Hotel Plaza Athénée brings his experience and expertise to Bonbon Café at The Lana from the Dorchester Collection, occupying a picturesque location by the marina where guests can enjoy sandwiches and salads alongside Musa’s renowned viennoiserie and signature pastry, surrounded by elegant interiors in natural materials and tones. Alongside his many prizes and honors, Musa has been awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in recognition of his contribution to French gastronomy. “My vision is to create a pastry destination that will redefine the culinary landscape of Dubai, one sweet creation at a time,” he says of his new opening.

Edinburgh’s newest bakery, Lannan in the city’s Stockbridge area, comes from self-taught baker Darcie Maher who grew up in the Scottish Borders. Maher worked across the UK before joining the launch team at The Palmerston, also in Edinburgh, where her creative pastry ideas soon won her a following on and offline. The word Lannan comes from the Gaelic for ‘house’, and Maher has created a welcoming space with an expansive glass counter, and a hatch through to the busy kitchen. As well as viennoiserie, custard slices, and cardamom buns, her signature bakes include seasonal concepts like the Lannan Apple Pie and Custard with Kissabel apples, crème fraîche custard, cinnamon sugar, and latticed croissant pastry, and her Rhubarb, Custard and Almond cake with Marcona almond sponge, rhubarb compôte, whipped vanilla custard, and toasted Marcona almonds. Savoury bakes include Merguez sausage rolls with braised fennel and Monte Enebro cheese, and Nduja, garlic fermented honey, and Murcia al vino cheese buns.

Parisian pastry shop Nèulo is the creation of pastry chef Pierre-Jean Quinonero and entrepreneur Gauthier Rosario. The name Nèulo comes from the Provençal word for waffle, reflecting the shop's ambition to rediscover the authentic flavors of Provence. The young and talented Quinonero has won numerous awards, including Best Apprentice in France in 2014. His expertise shines through in his signature Flan creations, which come in various flavors such as Vanilla, Marble Vanilla Chocolate, and his Lemon Meringue Tart-inspired Flan. Gauthier Rosario, originally from Aix-en-Provence, carefully sources artisanal and organic products from the region to complement Quinonero's creations. Together, they have created a pastry shop that celebrates the flavors of Provence while showcasing the chef Quinonero’s exceptional talent and creativity.