There’s always room for dessert thanks to the three Emirati women behind Honestry
Built on transparency and grown by word of mouth, home-grown cafe Honestry is proving that clean eating can win a loyal following.
Honestry founders Noora Sharafi, Asma Sharafi and Khawla Khoory are redefining clean eating in the United Arab Emirates by offering a cleaner indulgence that customers keep coming back for.
Each member contributes to the overarching objective of offering alternative versions of favored dishes and desserts that are free of gluten, refined sugar, and seed oils. Asma handles research and development, Khawla manages finances and supports operations, and Noora leads marketing while heading the team.
“Our motto is always nourishing a healthier, happier community,” Noora said. She shared how the idea for the brand came after her own autoimmune diagnosis that limited what she could eat. Instead of accepting that limitation, the three founders filled a gap by creating more choice.
The brand was founded in 2017 and grew into a well-established favorite through word of mouth, culminating in a strong and loyal customer base.
“What gives us a loyal customer base is a lot of people trust us because of the transparency,” explained Noora. “They know we won’t compromise on the quality, ingredients, or our values,” she continued.
"We take that same core concept and ethos that we have of being fully transparent and using the best quality ingredients and applying it to whatever we do.”
— Noora Sharafi, Co-founder & CEO of Honestry
Transparency has been at the forefront of the brand’s mission, and they’ve made it a point to maintain an open dialogue with their customers in pursuit of that.
“We take that same core concept and ethos that we have of being fully transparent and using the best quality ingredients and applying it to whatever we do,” Noora assured.
The team behind Honestry is dedicated to their value of “making people feel good”—Noora emphasized—food is a core part of that enjoyment, especially in the UAE.
“Sometimes you have a long day, and you want a snack or you want a sweet treat after dinner. It’s a ritual people have that you shouldn’t let go of because you’re trying to be better,” Noora pointed out.
Honestry is constantly trialing new things. “We always like to challenge ourselves and try different things and see what the people want,” Noora noted.
Right now, the brand offers a multitude of desserts including ready-to-go desserts, gathering and celebration desserts, pantry snacks, ice cream and even beverages like coffee and matcha. They’ve also experimented with savory offerings including the national dish, Regag. The founders express the intention to continue refining their menu, noting that Honestry’s growth is continuous.
When asked about the inspiration behind their dishes, Noora explained how they draw from nostalgic food and Emirati dishes. They even shape new products around unique ingredient—she noted sunflower seeds or Italian hazelnuts as two examples. Occasionally, they’ll taste something and it will remind them of something else entirely, setting the wheels of creativity in motion.
Other times, the motivation is rooted in a desire to create an honest version of foods where a clean version isn’t readily available. They want to challenge the preconception that clean food can only appeal to people already within the health and wellness space—it is their aim to attract a diverse demographic.
Every idea they come up with undergoes a process. The Honestry team works through phases to overcome the challenges when refining a recipe. The first involves getting the quality and texture right—"there’s a lot of trial and error,” shared Noora. Even with launched items, they still aim to tweak them years later, so they remain optimal.
The team’s attention to detail and commitment to the process of maintaining the quality year-on-year is rooted in a deep appreciation for their customers.
“One thing we do really want to focus on is building the community of Honestry,” Noora stressed. One way they hope to do this is through collaborations.
With that in mind, the Honestry founders are keen to funnel support into other local businesses that share the same values of being community-driven and human-centered.
When possible, they try to source ingredients locally, noting that it’s also a more sustainable choice. One of the businesses they have collaborated with is Guernsey Dairy—a family-run farm in Al Ain selling organic A2 milk.
“We visited the farm and did a collab with the brand. We really loved the product and loved the story,” Noora said.
Human connection is integral to the brand at every level: the people behind the food, the people consuming it, and those within the industry—they’re all foundational components of Honestry’s growth. “The biggest win is the support we have,” Noora told Dear Dorey.
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