The story of Lal Majid (affectionately known as Lal Auntie) and her daughter, Madiha Sultan Tai, the CEO of Lals, is a true blend of inspiration and hard work. Over the years, they have altered Pakistan’s perspective on desserts, bringing about a shift from traditional sweets like halwa and mithai to more global varieties along with healthy competition.

Lals was recently awarded the ‘Pastry Discovery Gem Award’ by La Liste in Paris. La Liste is a selective global guide known for scouting and compiling the world’s best restaurants, hotels, tea and coffee shops, and food gems. The nomination from La Liste came to Majid and Tai as a welcome surprise – with much excitement at the thought of being present in the same room with culinary masters. Majid’s library has always overflowed with cookbooks written by well-known chefs since she had grown up admiring them. The thought of seeing them in the flesh was surreal and dreamlike.

Lals journey began in Karachi in 2006 when she opened Pakistan’s first chocolate shop in Zamzama, Karachi. Since then, Lals has reshaped the image of local chocolates by maintaining quality and adding pastries and gelatos to their menu.

In February 2013, Majid penned Deliciously Yours, a book intended to pass on her recipes to budding and professional chefs alike. To her surprise, the book opened doors to recognition from the global pastry community, earning her the title of the ‘Best Sweets and Pastry Book’ in the world, twice at the Gourmand Awards. The book was nominated along with the others written by the giants in the culinary arts, spreading across 187 countries.

Before leaving for the ceremony in Paris, Majid and Tai created customised chocolate bars infused with traditional Pakistani flavours such as pink salt, ras malai, and almond milk as a sample of their creations. La Liste’s Pastry Awards 2024 comprised 10 categories, including the category Majid was recognised in, which was the Pastry Discovery Gem Award. Lals, along with three other international patisseries, were awarded in the same category. At the ceremony, a total of 25 food gems were selected for the year 2024.

Recently, Lals expanded the reach of their chocolates to Dubai by stocking at Blomma within the Dubai Mall, making Lals chocolates available to the Middle Eastern market. Moving forward, Tai also intends to collaborate with local and international brands with the hope of reaching more people and building a strong community.

Sarah Ansari is in a leadership role in the education industry, runs a daycare facility, and works as a freelance social media manager and writer. sarahansari.sa84@gmail.com