The Story of FIKA
Like many people during the pandemic, my career as a designer was put on hold, so I took advantage of quarantine to explore a whole new area of creativity – baking and dessert techniques. I began with beloved recipes passed down from my Italian and Czech grandmothers. This led to further exploration of unique desserts, incorporating exciting and subtly sweet French Asian flavors.
Going back to my roots, my mother, once a professional chocolatier, inspired me to develop truffles with creative and silky fillings. Over the last four years, I’ve worked to blend my design and culinary skills to bring FIKA to life.
Why FIKA?
During quarantine, I was missing social interactions, so I began hosting small, pick-up bake sales to reconnect with my community. Fika, the Swedish custom of slowing down to enjoy a moment with friends and loved ones over a sweet snack, perfectly expresses my desire to spend time with others and share my desserts. And thus, FIKA was born.
FIKA Now
FIKA has grown into a cottage bakery with an extensive mailing list of faithful customers, with monthly bake sales in the Portland, OR metropolitan area selling out quickly. Several pop-up events are scheduled for 2024. Custom orders for special occasions are always welcome. And for the holidays, I offer truffle assortments nationwide. A small retail bakery is on the horizon. Until then, click here to email me or to sign up for our monthly sales events.
And if you like, you can check out my other creations at jefdesigns.com.
Cheers,
Joe