ard pieces pay homage to my Lebanese roots and Australian culture.

ard began from my love for traditional Lebanese sweets with a ahwe (coffee) and my plant-based lifestyle. Mama Marie holds the recipe behind our plant based baklava. I transitioned to being plant-based in 2015. I missed my mum's Lebanese sweets. My mother and I worked on transforming her traditional baklava recipe and making it vegan.

Naturally, I was in the kitchen creating all sorts of vegan treats since very young. This journey in the kitchen brought my two worlds together - my Lebanese culture and my passion for health, wellbeing, sustainability and all sentient beings. I look to carry Lebanese traditional sweets through time, to reach all audiences regardless of intolerances, dietary and lifestyle and not compromise on flavour.

You will find mama Marie in the kitchen creating traditional Lebanese sweets, delicately composed and crafted from the hands of a mother and grandmother who raised a big Lebanese family. I am so proud and happy to showcase my mum's brilliance in the kitchen and merge it with my creativity to make our sweets.

My love for my Lebanese heritage and passion for plant-based living inspires me to bake with seasonal flavours and Mediterranean ingredients. Extra virgin olive oil sourced from my local Lebanese grocers, farmers market discoveries, trips to the Australian country side to forage seasonal flavours keep me inspired to create. I find inspiration in the unexpected combination of traditional and native ingredients.

Pistachios, cashews, rose, molasses, sumac, tahini, mulberry, dates play through my creations. My subtle combinations are sumptuous while never excessively sweet.

Our business name ard means earth in Arabic - ingredients from mother earth and culture from mama Marie.

Our pieces are always baked by myself or my mother in our Punchbowl kitchen, with each piece composed according to an ever-changing season.

Christiana