It’s not a coincidence that when you first bite into a Fleurs et Sel cookie, your body goes through pure euphoria. The founder of West Hollywood’s most sought-out cookie, Lara Adekoya, would tell you that it’s by design, as her cookie company goes a little deeper than knowing the right ingredients to put together.
“I’ve always loved flowers. When I started my business in 2020, my boyfriend and I would ride our bikes all over West Hollywood during the springtime,” she told Travel Noire. “Despite all the negative things going on and with so much uncertainty, these flowers that bloomed all over the city are really what brought me joy.”
Adekoya launched Fleurs et Sel after being laid off from her job during the pandemic. She was determined not to feel defeated, so she focused on her surroundings and what brought her joy, including flowers.
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When you’re enjoying her cookies, just know that the secret ingredients are the passion and joy she brings to every batch. Adekoya has made it her mission to do more than sell a cookie brand, but also community and compassion.
“When I first started, my cookies were little glimpses of joy, hope, and comfort. People would send their friends, pick up cookies for their mom, buy for their wedding that they were having over zoom, but it grew into so much more, including a community.”
Fleurs et Sel not only pays homage to Adekoya’s journey of joy, but to her childhood as well. She’s fluent in French and spent a lot of time in France during high school. Fleurs et Sel, which translates to Flowers and Salt, was inspired by her love for flowers, baking, and French culture.
Her brand has already attracted some heavy-hitters, including Issa Rae and Lena Waithe, to name a few. She has also catered to major studios such as Netflix, Amazon Studios, and the Oprah Winfrey Network.
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With so much demand she plans on opening up a small storefront in the near future.
“All of this is an incredible feeling,” Adekoya said when explaining her reaction to the support she’s receiving. “My dream is to have a small bakery and then build a small team of amazing women of color. I would love to build a team of young girls who are passionate about working hard and following their dreams,” she says.
Giving Black Men Their Flowers
Adekoya says she wouldn’t be where she is today without her longtime partner, James Watson, who has been her number one supporter from the beginning. He works full-time as a project engineer in construction, but that hasn’t stopped him from helping with Fleurs et Sel.
“I don’t have a team, so everything that I need help with, including the heavy lifting and the operations, everything really lands on him. Navigating a relationship, while building a business, while being in a pandemic, we’ve had to lean on one another. It’s been the epitome of Black love,” said Adekoya.
And while her salted chocolate chip cookies are one of West Hollywood’s most sought-out cookie, the “bae bar” is an ode to James and beautiful Black men everywhere.
“It’s a rich fudge brownie layered on top of an Oreo and a chocolate chip cookie base. I call it the ‘bae bar’ because it looks like bae,” she says jokingly.
