One entrepreneur conquered the Bahrain luxury chocolate market. Here’s how.
Bader Nooruddin is Managing Director of Leaves Bahrain, a premier chocolatier company that creates the most sought-after luxury chocolates in the region. With the finesse of specialized premium chocolate design, Leaves is renowned for its ability to craft a wedding favor or corporate gifting experience like no other. Scrumptious and heavenly indulgence awaits a true chocolate connoisseur, as Leaves is the solution to your gifting and event planning solutions.
With a strong background in global finance and investment, Bader joined Leaves as Managing Director in 2011 to support its rapid growth and expansion strategy with a vision to re-define the luxury chocolate business in the region.
How did it all begin?
Leaves was established in 2005 by my mother. With a passion for travelling, her attention was drawn towards a noticeable gap in the Bahraini market for luxury chocolates and gifts. Soon Leaves became one of the first local chocolatiers that offered luxury chocolates, gifts as well as customized wrapping and printing – a rare service at the time and a valued service even today.
Tell us more about your signature product, the Chocolate Mushroom.
Our creamy Leaves Chocolate Mushroom is a favorite in Bahrain and across the GCC. Its thin crispy shell casing crumbles away to reveal the finest milk chocolate and hazelnut crème center. I believe the secret behind its popularity can be attributed to the surprise element of its creation. Customers don’t usually expect a hard-shelled chocolate to taste so creamy and delightful on the inside. While hazelnut and chocolate have long been a winning combination, the Chocolate Mushroom takes it to the next level.
FRANCHISING OUR OPERATION WAS CHALLENGING, HOWEVER, WE ARE FOCUSED TO TAKE LEAVES TO OUR REGIONAL CUSTOMER BASE.
Do you think it’s important for a business in your industry to have a signature product that sells more than any other?
Signature products echo the true essence of a brand. They serve as brand ambassadors and support brand awareness and exposure. But what makes a business great in this industry is not just the delivery of quality products but also the consistency and exemplary customer service across the board that compliments each sale made; no matter how large or small.
What about LVS by Leaves? Can you tell us more about that?
It’s a new concept store that was unveiled at Bahrain City Centre in September 2015. LVS offers specially curated arrangements and boxes that customers can pick up from an easily accessible location at a moment’s notice. Customers seeking bespoke arrangements can also place orders with the flagship store in Riffa and pick them up from our LVS by Leaves kiosk in Bahrain City Centre. The idea is to provide our products to customers conveniently from a central location.
What were some of the challenges you faced while growing your business?
Franchising our operation was challenging, however, we are focused to take Leaves to our regional customer base. From the initial stage we realized that a strong foundation and streamlined processes would help us grow our business in a smooth and steady pace. We realized early on that any business is like a house of cards, if the foundation is not strong enough, the cards will topple down. We have invested in well-defined operations and processes and because of that we have enjoyed regional and steady growth.
Did you receive any funding from organizations in Bahrain such as Tamkeen or BDB? How was your experience?
Yes, we have utilized the Taqnia Scheme from Tamkeen but only after the organic growth of our brand.
Your brand is a household name in the region-how did you achieve that?
Word of mouth is powerful. Here nothing travels faster than news about a new gourmet treat or restaurant. We believe the strength of our product range has made a mark on customers all across the region. Plus, it’s an advantage to us that hospitality is a huge part of our culture. Our core business ideology is inspired from this very culture where we believe in celebrating with the community and creating memories by offering a sense of warmth and cordiality to the society.
WE BELIEVE THAT INNOVATION IS A KEY VALUE THAT WE EMBRACE AND THAT ALONE KEEPS US PASSIONATE ABOUT OUR WORK AND ALWAYS KEEPS US ON THE EDGE OF OUR SEATS.
Why is the wedding business important to you?
The wedding business is a core part of our work and we are passionate about it and its equally rewarding because we make people’s dreams come true by giving them the experience they envisioned.
How do you deal with the competition in your industry? What keeps you on your toes?
Sure, we take note of our competitors and keep abreast of industry news, but mostly we focus on doing what we do best. We believe that innovation is a key value that we embrace and that alone keeps us passionate about our work and always keeps us on the edge of our seats.