About Me

Hi, I’m Céline

… the owner of Cocolico.

As you can probably imagine, I am a massive foodie!

I used to live in Paris, where I trained for years as a chef and pastry chef; in prestigious places such as Hôtel de Crillon and Senderens. I also worked in the first ever gluten-free patisserie in Paris, which is why I am able to offer delicious treats for people who follow a gluten-free diet, too.

It was in my beloved Paris where I discovered that I was lactose intolerant. You can imagine how I felt…no more butter, no more cream, no more choux pastry, or tiramisu – my favourite! I was surrounded by beautiful, fancy, delicious food. All day, every day. But I couldn’t enjoy it.

I also started to look at food differently, questioning myself a lot about what I was eating and why, and what I really thought about animal farming and conditions. I realised that veganism really matched my personal values.

When I moved to Reading in 2016, I realised that there was a lot of demand for free-from food. I’ve always had a bit of an entrepreneurial streak, and so I started Cocolico.

My Mission

I wanted to recreate the fine desserts that I love so much. I wanted to show that they can be plant-based, pretty and affordable and, most of all, that you don’t have to compromise on taste.

Funnily enough, most of my customers are not vegan – but that doesn’t stop them from coming back!

I’m also committed to making my food and my business as environmentally sustainable as possible. All of my packaging is recyclable or re-useable, and I use local suppliers where possible.

Whether you’re vegan, plant based, egg-free, gluten-free, or dairy-free you will always find something here for you. More than that, I’m determined that my food will taste so good you won’t know or care that it’s vegan.

I look forward to seeing you soon! And if you want to see more examples of my work, you can follow me on Instagram @cocolico – where I also share some of my videos so you can see me in action!