Back in 2007, Azarmeen Pavri was juggling the demands of having three young children and the possibility of having to move to England to complete her Ph.D in public health. That’s when Pavri decided to expand her long-time interest in the food industry—specifically, in baking. “I baked everything I could think of. I was drawn to baking because there’s so much science to it. It was always where I was most comfortable, and that’s why I gravitated towards it,” said Pavri.
So in 2016, Pavri decided to sell her baked goods to the local community. “I got a food license which allowed me to start baking while my kids were still at home. I used my home kitchen to sell products and, at some point, I outgrew the home kitchen, and that’s why we created this wholesale bakery,” said Pavri.
After experimenting with different recipes and types of baked goods, Pavri found herself drawn towards products that were difficult to make, notably, meringues. She said, “They’re incredibly difficult and finicky. Meringues are temperamental and are very dependent on temperature and humidity.”
Pavri named the bakery Délice Glacé, which is French for “frozen delicious treat.” At first, the bakery offered frozen meringue cakes, but they now only offer meringues. Pavri said, “After a couple wedding shows, I realized that frozen meringue cakes were too much stress. Maybe in the future we’ll go back to making those cakes again.”
Délice Glacé’s meringues are fat-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free. The airy, crispy outer layers of the meringue melt in your mouth while creating a delightful sugary taste. Pavri’s meringues come in a variety of flavors, such as rose, lavender, lemon, birthday confetti, and passion fruit. Recently, their passion fruit meringue was named as a finalist for the 2024 Good Food Award.
Today, Délice Glacé products can be found in many grocery stores throughout the Bay Area, including Whole Foods and Draeger’s. They’re also available on DoorDash. Pavri’s products are also slated to be available at William & Sonoma by the end of the year.
Despite their success, the bakery has faced many challenges along the way. “In the beginning, I was trying to raise young children while trying to bake the product, package the product, deliver the product—everything by myself. The biggest challenge has always been to balance my family’s needs along with the needs of the business,” said Pavri. Since the beginning stages, Pavri’s family has played a major role in the business.
Pavri said, “My fondest memory has always been working alongside my children. When I was baking in my home kitchen, I started to get a lot of wholesale orders, and for the first summer, I had no help. It was just me, and orders kept increasing, and I didn’t know who could help me. But I had three kids who were on summer break. The four of us would bake, load up the car, and drive around the Bay delivering cookies.”
She continued, “I’m very fortunate that my kids and my family do support me so much that they are willing to spend their summers baking with me, even to this day. Last year I did a trade show with my son, who is a sophomore at Sacred Heart. He took the day off of school, and we did the trade show together.”
Originally from Pakistan, Pavri immigrated to the U.S. in 2001 as a spouse. Her husband Rezwan Pavri had immigrated to the U.S. as a child. Pavri shared, “Without the sacrifices that my husband made as an immigrant, I would not be able to do what I’m doing now. He has worked every day of his life since he was ten years old. He faced many struggles because of being an outsider and not being included in his community. He faced those challenges so my children and I don’t have to face them.”
When asked what piece of advice she would give to other new immigrants, Pavri said, “I think the American Dream is definitely still alive and well and kicking. It is something that you can aspire towards. It’s gonna be tough, but it can be done. There is still so much opportunity. You shouldn’t let anything hold you back.”
