Daily Inspiration: Meet Shazieh Gorji

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shazieh Gorji. She and her team share Agave Pantry’s story with us below:

Shazieh Gorji started Agave Pantry as a cottage law bakery in Tucson, Arizona in 2018. Initially, her product lineup included salt, sugar, and spice line and select pantry goods. Since then, she has expanded her selection to include a ceramics line.

Agave Pantry’s ceramics are handmade and stamped with a dry cholla rib that pays homage to the Sonoran Desert. We sell to a range of select shops in the Tucson, Sedona, and Phoenix areas, including Artesana Tile, Eastland Alley, Meyer Avenue Café & Mercantile, Tucson Botanical Gardens in Tucson, Esteban’s Pottery in the Tlaquepaque Village in Sedona, and The Pomegranate Café in Phoenix.

After fifteen years of potting in communal studios and makeshift spaces, exhibiting works in solo and group shows while attending International ceramic residencies, Shazieh recently established a personal pottery studio this summer. The studio has enabled a productive environment in which to create and meet the growing demand for Agave Pantry’s signature ceramics.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Initially, getting the word out about our small business was one of the hardest challenges we faced. After taking part in many Tucson-local events and pop-up markets, people started to recognize us, and the community was instrumental in spreading the word for which we are always extremely grateful.

Offering curbside pick-up for bakery items and one-to-one pottery and gift shopping appointments in our casita meant inventory space was slowly becoming an issue. We now have a designated space for our packaging, shipping supplies, and inventory. Bringing order to the infrastructure of the business has increased productivity, which has helped us find creative ways to share what makes Agave Pantry special.

Ultimately, the local community is so incredibly supportive that, despite the inevitable challenges of running a small business as the mother of a young child, it is an absolute joy to wake up every morning and create for a community that appreciates gourmet gifts and handcrafted pottery.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Over the years, Agave Pantry has gone from offering a wide range of specialty cookies and small cakes to a refined selection of our most unique bakery goods. We make a decadent Persian love cake infused with saffron and cardamon, orange blossom, and rose finished with crushed pistachios, rose petals, and a drizzle of rose glaze.

The love cake is luscious and the flavors dance on one’s palate; it is one of Agave Pantry’s most popular signature items. This cake has been a part of many romantic proposals, engagements, and weddings, making for a celebratory gift and token of friendship. It does not disappoint!

We use raw Sonoran honey in our caramels and offer half dozen and full dozen boxes in flavors such as earl grey, chai spice, lavender honey, and rosemary vanilla. Our caramel boxes sell out without fail every holiday season as they make sweet stocking stuffers and appreciation gifts, so we always encourage people looking to place large orders to inquire early via email to pre-order and ensure fulfillment.

We love that our small-batch caramels and handcrafted creations are loved by all, and we are proud to serve a diverse community where all are welcome.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Agave Pantry offers limited bookings for dessert tables for weddings and other special occasions. Our dessert tables are beautifully curated and include many aromatic desserts not currently available on our website. Inquire about our dessert tables via email on our contact form.

We love to work with local shops and offer wholesale prices on our salt, sugar, and spice line, and our ceramics line. Please reach out if you are interested in working together! We also enjoy being part of select artist-curated boxes and subscription boxes. If you curate themed subscription boxes from local artists and makers, get in touch.

Finally, as a small business, we love it when people share our social posts, tell their friends about Agave Pantry, visit our stockists, and shop small. We invite you to come on over to our website and give it a browse. We hope you find something you’ll love!

Pricing:

• Persian Love Cake 4″ $28
• Persian Love Cake 8″ $48
• Half dozen Caramels $8.95
• Dozen Caramels $15.95

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.agavepantry.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agavepantry/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/agavepantry/

Image Credits
Fletcher and Co and Christinia Brimhall Photography,

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