Lila Sarhang Zadeh

Lila is the owner of and head baker at HALVA. Originally hailing from Algeria, Lila comes from a proud family of firm food lovers. She grew up around pastry and has fond memories of gigantic pastries being produced at home for special occasions such as birthdays and weddings… She obviously picked up a thing or two!

She then moved to France where she initially spent ten years and in the process became a huge fan of everything French, including the food! Eventually she felt the travel bug bite again and Lila headed across to Asia for a period, but not without learning how to bake first so she would always have a good loaf to hand, wherever she happened to be in the world.

Once back in Europe, Lila decided to get professionally trained as a baker in France. It was during this training that she developed a passion for baking in a traditionally French style; using only three ingredients and a complex and interesting process to bring the bread to life.

It is this passion for taste and technique that has led to her bringing the fresh bread and other baked goods to the heart of Fulham in the form of HALVA.
Every bite is a tasty testament to her remarkable journey.

Anne Laure Chauvel

Anne is our French pastry chef and chocolatier. Born in the Bretagne region of France, she spent her early years learning to appreciate fresh local produce and the authentic, high quality local cuisine.

After finishing school, Anne moved to Paris to start her apprenticeship as a pastry chef and there she fell in love with chocolate making. So much so that chocolate has remained an ingredient that is recurring in some of her most delicious creations.

Anne then continued her career in Luxury hotels in Paris where she joined the pastry department. It was during her time there that she honed her sense of creativity and her ability to bring in the high-end finish required for the very finest gastronomy.

After a yearlong backpacking trip across Asia, Anne Laure has decided to relocate to London where she is now head pastry chef at HALVA, constantly surprising and delighting us with unusual combination of flavours and enticing pastries.

We’re sure you will feel the same way after you sample her creations!