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Running a Lebanese sweets business allows Leanne Zoghbi, an oral health therapist at Diamond Smiles Dental in Carramar, WA, to share her cultural heritage.
“When I was 17 and had just finished high school, I had a passion for my Lebanese culture and Mum had a passion for cooking. Mum made a tray of baclava for a Christmas party and everyone loved them. It sparked an idea in my head that we could do this for fun and test Mum’s baclava at a local market. It was so successful, we decided to turn it into a business and Lamia’s Lebanese Sweets was born. The business is named after my Mum.
“Baclava can be extremely rich and sweet. Mum’s secret recipe isn’t too overpowering but still crunchy and very tasty. Some baclava uses crushed pistachio or walnuts but we use cashews for the filling with just a little pistachio on top for decoration. Sugar syrup adds the necessary sweetness. While baclava is clearly our most popular sweet, we also make sesame seed and pistachio cookies; halva made from tahini and sugar; and namoura, a semolina coconut cake.
“While I do some cooking, Mum carries the lion’s share, making it all in her kitchen at home. I look after all the back-end stuff such as finances, social media and ordering. For the past four years, we’ve been selling at markets every weekend. Even though it’s a business, it’s more about sharing the love and sharing our culture. The interaction on weekends is fantastic when we see happy people loving our sweets. That’s the most rewarding aspect.
“Lamia’s Lebanese Sweets is also a way for me to bond with my mother. We’ve always been close but this little business has really made our relationship stronger. At the moment, it’s just a hobby but we have plans to expand and maybe start our own Lebanese sweet shop.
“I’m a person who absolutely loves personal development. I’ve done a lot of business mentoring and been a part of many different business groups. I also think it’s important to find a passion outside of what you do; otherwise, what you do becomes routine. I love teeth and love dentistry, and don’t want to lose that spark. I find having unrelated passions helps to keep the love for dentistry alive.
“Some people are surprised an oral health therapist has a side hustle selling sweets. And, yes, technically you should stay away from sugar! However, if you’re brushing your teeth and doing all the right things, there’s no need to deny yourself a nice piece of baclava, particularly if it’s made by Lamia.”
