About Her
Shadin Hamdan
Like many middle eastern households, the kitchen has always served as the heart of the home and the guiding force behind the baker, entrepreneur, and woman I am today. My parents have always embraced and showcased the beauty of the Palestinian culture and our traditions. I founded my company, Kanafa Cups using many of my family's Palestinian traditions as a stepping stone toward my success. My name is Shadin Hamdan and here’s a little bit more on how I started Kanafa Cups.
How it started
It all started in my mother’s kitchen one afternoon as my family and I were stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. While being a full-time student in pursuit of my master's degree in education, I began exploring creative ways I could make use of the extra time I had. I decided to bake some desserts for my family after dinner one night as I usually always did. This night I attempted to take a spin on the authentic Kanafa that my family and I all loved. I crafted my Kanafa in the shape of an individual sized kanafa cup. Sadly, it didn’t go so well the first couple of times… In fact, it took many failed attempts and some modifications to my grandmothers special Kanafa recipe until I knew I finally had a dessert that I was proud to share with many others!
The Feedback
After putting Kanafa to the test and serving it to my friends and family, I was taken aback by the overwhelmingly positive response. It was clear that I had stumbled upon something truly special. Excited by the idea of sharing my creation with others, I posted about it on social media. The engagement was far beyond what I had anticipated, and soon enough, I started receiving orders for the upcoming month of Ramadan. With the unwavering support of my family, I decided to take a bold step and launched my very first Kanafa-Cups pop event where everyone could enjoy the Kanafa fresh & hot. The response was phenomenal - we sold out within hours!
Trust The Process
Initially, I began baking these heavenly little cups purely out of passion, with no intention of turning them into a business. However, as days turned into weeks, the same people who had tasted my kanafa cups once kept coming back for more. It was then that I had a series of conversations with my father, who happens to be a successful businessman himself, and together we decided to share this passion of mine publicly. Today, at Kanafa Cups, my team and I are dedicated to continuously improving and innovating. We strive to ensure that every cup we serve meets the high standards of the Palestinian kanafa I grew up enjoying from my grandmothers home. From my house to yours I hope you love every bite of our little taste of home.