Those who know Melange know that its cakes aren’t just made to be devoured, they’re also meant to be admired.
The homegrown small batch bakery and online dessert delivery company, started by Nadia Parekh, produces exquisite layered creations that are almost too pretty to eat.
Studded with everything from flowers and petals to macaroons and abstract shapes, Melange’s towering creations have acquired quite a reputation over the years for resembling works of art. And now, for the first time, Dubai residents can actually watch them being made.
Parekh is launching the brand’s first brick-and-mortar destination. Located in Business Bay, this isn’t just a restaurant, a cafe or a bakery, it’s what Parekh is calling a “cake studio”.
Set to open mid-October, it's a minimal space that can accommodate up to 12 guests at a time. The interiors, in keeping with the brand, are best described as "industrial chic", with grey concrete and wooden elements. The space also features a separated kitchen for temperature control purposes. One part of the kitchen will be used to bake the cakes, while the other is purely for decorating, with guests being able to view the creative process via frosted glass.
“I might make cakes day in and day out but I’ve realised that a lot of people want to come by and watch us work,” says Parekh. “Moreover, if people are coming in to place or pick up orders, they can now grab a cup of coffee and a slice of the cake of the day, and catch up. It’s such a great opportunity for us to interact with our guests.”
Unlike most food and beverage establishments, this is not location that depends on its dine-in customers, she adds. “It’s not going to be pretentious or overpriced. Our dine-in customers are not going to be our bread and butter – we don’t want to overcharge them. It’s about interacting with them, serving them quality stuff.”
Like the interiors, the menu will be minimalistic – slices of whatever is freshly baked in the kitchen and cups of coffee. This will be the first time the brand will be selling by the slice, in the past it has only sold whole cakes for special occasions.
The idea of launching a cake studio, as opposed to a traditional restaurant or cafe, was in-part down to Covid-19. Parekh, who founded Melange after training at Le Cordon Bleu London, says that a more traditional set up was originally part of the plan.
“When Melange first began, we didn’t have the ability to make a huge investment, which is why it was launched and online dessert shop.
“However, as a creative, it can be a bit restrictive in the products you can create, everything has to have a long shelf life and travel well. We’ve always really wanted customers to experience the cake and, with delivery, you don’t know how customers are eating it or storing it. We wanted a way to have more control over how the desserts were delivered to customers.”
When the pandemic hit, Parekh was forced to rethink things. “We realised a cafe might not be the best idea at the moment, but at the same time, kitchen sharing was restricting us in terms of manpower and space. We needed to expand.”
The cake studio was the ideal solution. At first it was simply meant to be a space where the cakes would be created. But since they had a licence that allowed people to dine in and enjoy the sweet creations, and a location near the Dubai Canal, Parekh reconsidered.
The move also marks Melange as an exception to the norm; while many physical stores have looked to expand their online offerings since the pandemic started, Parekh is decidedly going against the grain.
“It’s definitely an exciting and scary time,” says Parekh. “We wanted to go for it, but in a different way. I’m really excited to finally have a brick and mortar destination.
“It’s a new direction, one I did not expect. I’m just going to go with the flow with this.”
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: seven-speed PDK dual clutch automatic
Power: 375bhp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh332,800
On sale: now
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz S 450
Price, base / as tested Dh525,000 / Dh559,000
Engine: 3.0L V6 biturbo
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 369hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm at 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.0L / 100km
