\n\tShe\u2019s helped two brothers, Can and Cengizhan Ayan, who hail from a family of fourth-generation Turkish chocolatiers, set up Naya, a luxury patisserie on North Audley Street in Mayfair.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"Naya](\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-wwd-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
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\t\t\t\t\tNaya in Mayfair.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI\u2019m not a qualified person to take on the creation of a bakery, but I do know an awful lot about brand building,\u201d says Hicks in an interview from her home in the Bahamas.<\/p>\n
\n\tShe says her expertise lies in creating an atmosphere \u2014 and drawing in a crowd. Naya\u2019s interiors feature hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper as well as green velvet booths, cream chairs and leopard-print cushions.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe brothers have brought over recipes from their family bakery in Turkey and downsized each pastry, from chocolate \u00e9clairs to cream buns, into bite-size portions. Along with Champagne and iced pistachio lattes, there is also a range of detox teas.<\/p>\n
\n\tHealth is a subject that\u2019s top of mind at Naya. \u201cWe know people are more health-conscious and we had a conversation about perhaps having a keto afternoon tea,\u201d says Cengizhan, referring to the ketogenic diet, which is high in fat and protein and low in carbs.<\/p>\n
\n\tHe added that they\u2019re working on updating the menu and introducing salads and more savory options, although there are no plans to enter restaurant territory.<\/p>\n
\n\tA short ride away from Naya, on Fulham Road in Chelsea, is the new bakery called Reemies, which is hard to miss with its bright fuchsia pink and red exterior.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\tReemies in Chelsea.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy<\/p>\n
\n\tIts founder, Reem Abu Samra, is a lawyer-turned-full-time baker. She opened the shop last April after her cake delivery business started to boom. Her nonfussy cakes are now on the shelves at Harrods, Panzer\u2019s Delicatessen in St. John\u2019s Wood and Bailey & Sage in Battersea and Hampstead.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI always loved very homely cakes, and I felt like I couldn\u2019t really buy any without it being overly processed,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\n\tShe\u2019s been baking banana bread since she was 14 years old and it continues to win her fans. She started making the bread for friends who own the coffee shop Noxy Brothers, in London<\/a>\u2018s Burlington Arcade, and the orders quickly multiplied.<\/p>\n \n\tFans of Reemies include Idris Elba<\/a>, the Ecclestone family, Viscount Linley and the Emirate of Dubai royal family.<\/p>\n \n\tAbu Samra sees her cakes as everyday treats rather than one-off luxuries. She grew up in a Lebanese household where her mother was a \u201csystemic feeder.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tThe creations of Nicolas Rouzaud at the Connaught.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCOURTESY OF THE CONNAUGHT<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cMy cakes are for every generation \u2014 a grandma likes eating our cakes, but so does a kid,\u201d she says, adding that her cakes offer comfort on a number of levels.<\/p>\n \n\tShe believes the boom in baking is \u201cbecause people need that comfort and food<\/a> feeds the soul,\u201d and that you can indulge in baked goods as part of your wellness routine \u2014 in moderation. She adds that a majority of the customers who stop by the shop have just come out of a Pilates class.<\/p>\n \n\tLuxury brands, too, are progressively tapping into catering for an audience that\u2019s closer to becoming teetotal than any other generation. According to the U.K.-based charity Drinkaware, the number of young adults who don\u2019t drink has increased from 14 percent in 2017 to 21 percent in 2023.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n