Ten years after its humble beginnings, Glazes and Ganache has grown into more than a dessert brand; it is a space where craft, memory and flavour intersect. Founded by Adesayo Osipitan, a trained chartered accountant who followed an unexpected calling into patisserie, the business has evolved steadily from a home kitchen into a trusted destination for desserts and, more recently, a brunch and dessert café. Known for its precision, storytelling and genuinely satisfying flavours, Glazes and Ganache has built a loyal community around food that is as thoughtful as it is delicious. In this interview, Osipitan reflects on the journey so far, the discipline behind the creativity, and how the brand is shaping its next chapter as it marks a decade in business. Nume Ekeghe presents excerpts:
Please tell us about yourself and the journey that led you to found Glazes and Ganache.
My name is Adesayo Osipitan, and I am the founder and head chef at Glazes and Ganache. My journey into baking began from the love and fulfilment I found in feeding my brother and his friends. Creating food that brought people together gave me a deep sense of purpose, and I soon realised I wanted to do more than bake casually.
Although I trained and qualified as a chartered accountant, I decided to explore baking professionally by interning at a bakery as a trial. That experience confirmed my passion and led me to pursue formal culinary training, where I fell in love with patisserie and detailed craftsmanship. Over the past ten years, Glazes and Ganache has grown organically into a trusted brand built on quality, consistency, and community.
You started out as a chartered accountant before discovering your passion for baking. What prompted that shift, and how did you know it was more than a hobby?
Becoming a chartered accountant was a disciplined and logical path, but baking gave me a sense of fulfilment that went beyond structure or routine. It was something I consistently prayed about, asking God for clarity and direction. Over time, it became clear that this was not just a hobby but a calling.
I knew it was more than personal enjoyment when people trusted me with meaningful moments and encouraged me to take the gift seriously. Interning in a bakery helped me test the reality of the profession, and through prayer, confirmation, and experience, I felt God leading me to pursue baking fully. My faith gave me the courage to step away from what was familiar and trust His guidance.
Choosing culinary school over a master’s degree was a defining moment for you. What convinced you to take that path, and how did it change the way you see your purpose?
Choosing culinary school over a master’s degree was a defining decision. My father was strongly opposed at first, and it took the support of my entire family to convince him to allow me to use the funds meant for my master’s degree for culinary school. That moment forced me to be honest about what I wanted to pursue long term.
Culinary school refined my skills and discipline and confirmed that baking was not just an interest but a profession I was willing to commit to fully.
You’ve described discovering patisserie as falling in love with precision, beauty and storytelling. What did that discovery unlock for you creatively?
Discovering patisserie unlocked a deeper creative discipline for me. It taught me that creativity thrives within structure and precision, not chaos. I learned to appreciate balance, technique, and the importance of detail in telling a story through food.
Patisserie allowed me to combine beauty and consistency with emotion and memory. It changed the way I approached baking, not just as making desserts but as creating experiences that feel intentional, thoughtful, and memorable from the first look to the last bite.
Glazes and Ganache began in your home kitchen and eventually took over your entire house before moving into a dedicated space. What did that early phase teach you about resilience and belief?
Starting Glazes and Ganache from the living room of my apartment taught me patience and resilience. When I got the apartment, my sister remodelled the space to allow me to live and work from the same environment. That setup forced me to be resourceful and intentional, reinforcing the value of steady growth, quality, and belief in small beginnings.
On April 9, 2023, you officially launched your treat store. What did that moment represent for you, beyond opening the doors to customers?
The launch of the treat store on April 9, 2023 represented a deep moment of affirmation for me. It marked the transition from behind the scenes production to welcoming customers into a physical expression of the brand. Beyond opening doors, it symbolised answered prayers, years of consistency, and the courage to trust growth. It was proof that quiet, steady work can eventually create visible impact and shared experiences.
Last month you expanded the brand with the launch of a brunch and dessert café. What inspired this evolution, and how does the café deepen the Glazes and Ganache experience?
The launch of the brunch and dessert café was inspired by years of customer requests for a space to sit, linger, and experience the brand beyond takeaway. It felt like a natural evolution rather than a sudden expansion. What makes the café especially meaningful to me is that every baked item served for brunch is produced from scratch in our kitchen. This allows us to control quality and stay true to our standards while offering a more immersive experience where food, service, and atmosphere come together intentionally.
Your menu is built around nostalgia: bagels tied to travel memories, bubble tea linked to friendships, pastries that echo childhood experiences. Why was it important for the brand to be rooted in storytelling rather than just products?
It was important for the brand to be rooted in storytelling because food is deeply emotional and personal. I wanted Glazes and Ganache to feel familiar, comforting, and meaningful, not transactional. Each menu item carries a memory, whether tied to travel, friendship, or childhood, and that connection creates depth beyond taste. Storytelling allows customers to experience more than a product. It invites them into shared moments, emotions, and memories, which is what builds loyalty and makes the brand feel human and enduring.
In a competitive food and hospitality space, what do you believe truly sets Glazes and Ganache apart from other bakeries and dessert spots?
What truly sets Glazes and Ganache apart is our depth of execution and consistency. We invest heavily in developing products in house, from large scale bagel production and speciality offerings like soufflé pancakes and bubble tea, to pastries that have become known for their quality and craftsmanship. We focus on process, precision, and quality rather than trends. Beyond the food itself, we prioritise experience, trust, and long term relationships, which keeps customers returning and recommending the brand organically.
You often say your customers have become your best storytellers and marketers. How intentional have you been about building community around the brand?
Building community around Glazes and Ganache has been very intentional from the beginning. I have always believed that people connect more deeply with brands they feel seen by. We prioritise consistency, conversation, and care in every interaction, whether online or in store. Over time, customers began sharing their experiences naturally because they felt invested. That sense of community has grown organically into our strongest form of storytelling and trust.
Running a full service dessert bar and now a brunch café comes with both creative and operational demands. How do you balance passion with the realities of running a growing business?
Balancing passion with the realities of running a growing business requires structure, discipline, and clear priorities. Creativity drives the vision, but systems sustain the business. I have learned to respect both. While I remain closely involved in product development and quality control, I also focus on building processes, teams, and routines that allow the brand to function consistently. Passion may start the journey, but intentional operations are what make long term growth possible.
Your background in accounting is quite different from the culinary world. How has that training influenced the way you manage and grow Glazes and Ganache?
My background in accounting has been a strong advantage in managing and growing Glazes and Ganache. It shaped how I approach budgeting, pricing, cost control, and sustainability from the start. I am very intentional about understanding numbers and making data driven decisions alongside creative ones. That balance allows the business to grow responsibly, invest where it matters, and maintain quality without overextending or losing focus.
Entrepreneurship is rarely a smooth journey. What have been some of the most challenging moments since you started, and how did you navigate them?
Like most entrepreneurs in Nigeria, some of the toughest challenges have come from navigating infrastructure gaps, supply inconsistencies, and the general unpredictability of the operating environment. These realities require constant adaptability and resilience. Through it all, I have learned to stay flexible, patient, and solutions focused. I am deeply grateful to God for strength, provision, and the grace to keep building despite the challenges.
As Glazes and Ganache continues to evolve, how do you see the brand growing in the next phase: expansion, new concepts, or deeper community engagement?
As Glazes and Ganache continues to evolve, this next phase is about learning and refining. The café was intentionally a way to test the waters and gauge customer engagement with limited seating. It has given us valuable insight into how people experience the brand in that format. As capacity allows, the goal is to accommodate more guests and gradually broaden the menu, which is currently limited by kitchen size and staff strength. Any growth will remain thoughtful and well paced.
Finally, when people walk into Glazes and Ganache, whether for dessert or brunch, what do you hope they leave with, beyond the taste of the food?
Beyond the taste of the food, I hope people leave Glazes and Ganache feeling included and considered. We refer to our customers as the Glazes Tribe because community is central to the brand. I want every visit to feel warm, thoughtful, and personal. If someone leaves feeling welcomed, lighter, or reminded of a good moment, then we have done more than serve food. We have created an experience they feel part of.
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