Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz looks at the burgeoning Israeli cupcake business, and a rivalry between two businesses, and even mentions our coverage! (click to watch video interview with Cupcakes founder Ofer Yeger)
And my apologies - when I first heard/read/blogged about Cupcakes, I was under the impression they were a storefront bakery, and instead of doing my homework, I took them at their word that they were the first cupcake company in Israel. However, we believe that more cupcake bakeries means more cupcakes for consumers, so I think it's wonderful that there's a flourishing cupcake scene happening there and look forward to hearing more about it.
From the piece, we also learned about Tel Aviv's TLV Cupcake Co. Here's an excerpt from the article:
Cupcakes have been trendy in the United States and other English-speaking countries for years, yet the craze never made it to Israel. Still, business is going well so far, according to Rabie, who runs "I Love Cupcakes" with Manchester native Danielle Levy. They're selling up to 200 regular-sized and mini cupcakes a week and are now teaming up with a national caterer to create wedding cupcakes, Rabie said. And while Ofer Yeger of "Cupcakes" said she was inspired by a recent visit to New York - where cupcakes are "the hottest accessory" - the two Anglo entrepreneurs were prompted by the discovery in 2008 after they both immigrated that their favorite dessert was absent from Israeli menus.
"We found this strange as we associate the cupcake with simchas [family celebrations] and Israelis are great at celebrating," explains Rabie, who first met Levy three years ago in Israel and bumped into her last year at Ulpan Gordan. "We knew for sure they would be popular with the English speaking communities in Israel, but we also knew we would face more of a challenge with the Israeli market, a large portion of whom may not be familiar with the product."
Indeed, many native Israelis, she says, don't know the difference between a muffin and a cupcake, which is more sweet, and adds it's not a given an American product will succeed here. "We are very aware of creating cupcakes that will please the Israeli palette and creating the Israeli version of the cupcake."
Cute Israeli cupcake company logos (click on each to go to their sites):
And my apologies - when I first heard/read/blogged about Cupcakes, I was under the impression they were a storefront bakery, and instead of doing my homework, I took them at their word that they were the first cupcake company in Israel. However, we believe that more cupcake bakeries means more cupcakes for consumers, so I think it's wonderful that there's a flourishing cupcake scene happening there and look forward to hearing more about it.
From the piece, we also learned about Tel Aviv's TLV Cupcake Co. Here's an excerpt from the article:
Cupcakes have been trendy in the United States and other English-speaking countries for years, yet the craze never made it to Israel. Still, business is going well so far, according to Rabie, who runs "I Love Cupcakes" with Manchester native Danielle Levy. They're selling up to 200 regular-sized and mini cupcakes a week and are now teaming up with a national caterer to create wedding cupcakes, Rabie said. And while Ofer Yeger of "Cupcakes" said she was inspired by a recent visit to New York - where cupcakes are "the hottest accessory" - the two Anglo entrepreneurs were prompted by the discovery in 2008 after they both immigrated that their favorite dessert was absent from Israeli menus.
"We found this strange as we associate the cupcake with simchas [family celebrations] and Israelis are great at celebrating," explains Rabie, who first met Levy three years ago in Israel and bumped into her last year at Ulpan Gordan. "We knew for sure they would be popular with the English speaking communities in Israel, but we also knew we would face more of a challenge with the Israeli market, a large portion of whom may not be familiar with the product."
Indeed, many native Israelis, she says, don't know the difference between a muffin and a cupcake, which is more sweet, and adds it's not a given an American product will succeed here. "We are very aware of creating cupcakes that will please the Israeli palette and creating the Israeli version of the cupcake."
Cute Israeli cupcake company logos (click on each to go to their sites):
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