My Story

Granny Slice Isn't Just A Name

Its meaning holds a very sentimental place in my heart, and inspires me to create the products that I do today. My childhood was spent in Baghdad, Iraq. Gunfire and lockdowns were the norm, and the neighbouring children and I used to collect and play games with the empty bullet cartridges that we found on the roofs of our houses. I lived with my Granny who, during the difficulties going on around us, always kept the storage room in our house well stocked with dates. She told me that if we ran out of food, we can survive on 7 dates a day, as dates provide so many nutrients. 

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She told me that if we ran out of food, we can survive on 7 dates a day, as dates provide so many nutrients. They’re a superfood, a fruit containing vitamins and a high amount of fibre. Granny often pressed the dates in a copper bowl, adding seeds to make sweet treats for us during the lockdowns. In her, the need to survive brought out the will to create something beautiful. Seeking a better life we moved to Damascus, Syria, and I worked for businesses in the restaurant trade. Forever in love with food, especially creating from scratch, I began making recipes from my old favourite, the date.

Whilst I found Damascus a beautiful place full of vibrancy, its dangers led me to leave the Middle East entirely, and travel to London. I began to further cultivate my date recipe, removing refined sugar as an ingredient and replacing it with natural sweeteners, trading from London markets such as Spitalfields and Walthamstow. Customers were delighted with the resulting product, happy to find a healthy sweet treat alternative that was natural, and contained no added sugar. I am so grateful to all of my customers, and of course my Granny, who influenced the name and creative spirit of my business today.

-Ali