Lele's

28/10/2024

Arrivederci amore ciao. You will be forever my best friend.

24/10/2024

It’s a Roman kinda affairs. Sun and olive oil.
What else

16/10/2024

I’m exhausted, I haven’t slept well in weeks, and I’m in a bad mood - no applause here; I’m simply doing my duty to care for Ugo, along with my mother, at the moment when he needs us; sadly, he is increasingly not self-sufficient, and, among other things, he must drink with a syringe.

I wish there were more animals than people around me. Ugo, despite his illness, has shown me so much love. Thank you 🙏♥️.

Today, I witnessed some children being really abusive with a small dog on the street. It appears to me that there is a serious gap in the education of these folks, and I am not talking about the children but the parents.

Love your pet and animals in general, teach kids how to treat them with love and respect.

We understand a lot of someone character from how they treat animals.

Be kind xx

05/10/2024

Please remember to laugh, it’s the strongest medicine of all.

You can’t change what happens to you but you can decide how you deal with that. Be strong, respect your fragilities and above all - LAUGH.

Happy weekend folks xx

29/09/2024

Happy Sunday everyone! I couldn’t be more happy spending it with my bestie Zz.

What’s is your plan for the day? Of course ate cake and…?

18/09/2024

Ciao! I am Valentina - usually you can catch me eating or laughing 😜

Happy mid week guys, I don’t know about you but I am feeling already tired and dreaming of the weekend!

Let me dream a little, what’s your plan this weekend??

10/09/2024

I am ready for autumn 🍂 who is with me???

Ready?

30/08/2024

29/08/2024

Hello beauties, how’s life treating you?

It’s been ages, hasn’t it?

This September, It will be two years since I close down LELE’S. It was a tough decision, and the aftermath was rough. I battled anxiety for a while, and on some days, I felt like I had failed.

However I was, and I am forever thankful for the chance to open the cafe, meet amazing people, learn to cook, and contribute a bit to promoting vegan food. 🍲 🥑

After six years of running my own venture, saying goodbye to the team and customers was hard. I’m glad I did it, especially for my mental well-being and the much-needed break.

I was handling LELE’S solo, I started the cafe after my dad passed (the cafe was named after him), with almost no funds and no cooking experience (I didn’t even know how to cook!). Six years later, LELE’S became a great cafe, a wholesale business supporting Planet Organic’s supermarkets, a catering service for the likes of Adidas, New Balance, and Paul Smiths.

LELE’S also served as a welcoming place for people to gather and learn cooking, and I was proud to offer free classes with Hackney Council’s support. Then, the TV series with Gordon Ramsay - WHAT A JOURNEY.

The business boomed, and I wasn’t skilled enough to handle the expansion. I worked tirelessly, believing I did my best, so no regrets. I’m filled with joy.

If you allow me tthe spare my two cents - don’t be upset when things change, they change because you CHANGE. YOU’RE great.

Moving back home was tough; finding a place to live, making new friends, and navigating the ups and downs of work - it was a rollercoaster of emotions, so I kept things private.

This journey was one I had to undertake on my own terms, avoiding the pressure to constantly perform and be seen.

Many of you have been sending me sweet messages since I’m sharing my stories again! Your love and support mean the world to me and are truly precious.

So, here’s a quick update: I’m now working in communication strategy as a freelance, still cooking and baking cakes, teaching myself about flower design, and drawing more often.

Here you’ll see some of my cakes, flowers, and sketches, and of course, my dogs. 🐶

Love, Valentina