Our Story: From Market Stall to Boutique Stores

Some stories begin with a product. Ours began with a philosophy.

Before a single brownie was baked, we travelled to Turin, Italy, as a family and attended the Slow Food Salone del Gusto. It was unlike anything we had seen before. The event wasn’t just a food fair, it was a cultural movement. Farmers, cheesemakers, chocolatiers, and bakers stood proudly by their produce, speaking of heritage, land, and story as much as flavour.

Slow Food’s philosophy of “good, clean, fair” captured us entirely. Here, handmade food was not a niche indulgence but a living testament to provenance. Luxury was defined not by gold or glamour but by authenticity and respect for ingredients.

That Italian trip became the heart of Dello Mano. It gave us the conviction to create something new in Brisbane, something that celebrated food made with care, connection, and human hands. Inspired by the philosophy of Slow Food, we believed that handmade food could be the true modern luxury,a value we still hold at the heart of Dello Mano.

Returning to Brisbane, we carried with us more than suitcases. We carried the belief that food could be both luxurious and handmade, that the story behind it mattered as much as the taste.

In 2006, we began experimenting with recipes at home. After countless trials, we discovered the perfect formula for a chocolate brownie unlike anything available in Australia at the time. Rich Belgian chocolate, creamy real butter, and small-batch care turned a simple square into an indulgent little luxury.

With two children by our side, we baked at night in a borrowed soccer club kitchen at Taringa. Once the children were asleep, we transformed the quiet kitchen into our workshop, cutting, wrapping, and boxing brownies until dawn. Every piece carried with it the spirit of Slow Food: provenance, authenticity, and story.

We chose the name Dello Mano, Italian for “of the hand”, to honour both our Italian inspiration and our commitment to the handmade. If you’ve ever wondered about the meaning (and common misspellings!) of our name, we share the full story in Is It Dello Mano or Della Mano?.

Choosing the name was more than branding; it became a promise. Of the hand means every detail matters, from cracking each egg to wrapping every brownie in foil. Even now, nearly two decades later, our team hand-ties ribbons on gift boxes, writes personal notes for gifts, and checks every order with care. These aren’t tasks we’ve automated; they are daily rituals that connect us back to those first nights baking at the soccer club kitchen. For us, provenance is not just in ingredients but in the hands that shape them.

Brisbane’s farmers’ markets became our testing ground. When we first presented our foil-wrapped brownie cubes, many people weren’t sure what to expect. Brownies weren’t yet part of Australia’s mainstream food culture, and certainly not as a luxury product.

But the reaction was extraordinary. Customers were struck by the rich chocolate flavour, the indulgent texture, and the novelty of receiving a brownie as a gift. They began returning weekly, often bringing friends, spreading the word that something special had arrived.

Food stylists, chefs, and writers soon took notice. Mentions in national magazines and word-of-mouth buzz helped us grow. But what mattered most were those early loyal customers who believed in us, who tasted the difference and kept coming back. They became part of our story, the first believers in handmade luxury.

After years of baking late into the night and pouring every ounce of resilience into our little brand, it was time to take the next step. We wanted to create spaces that reflected the same care and beauty as the brownies themselves.

Our first boutique store opened with one goal: to create a place where handmade could be experienced as well as tasted. From packaging to presentation, every detail was designed to honour the philosophy that had inspired us in Italy.

Today, we’re proud to have two unique Brisbane destinations:

• Wintergarden Boutique,  in the heart of Brisbane CBD, a kiosk store offering brownies, cakes, and gifts to locals, office workers, and tourists.

• West End Kitchen Store, at 5 Paris Street, West End, our working kitchen and creative hub where visitors can glimpse behind the scenes of handmade food in action.

Each store is different, but both carry the same spirit of family, provenance, and care. Over the years, Dello Mano has also called other Brisbane neighbourhoods home, from Breakfast Creek Wharf to Teneriffe and Tattersall’s Arcade. While those chapters have now closed, many long-time customers still remember them fondly (and some only rediscover us at Christmas!).

Today, our only stores are the Wintergarden kiosk and our West End Kitchen Store, where the journey continues. 

👉 Learn more in our Visit Dello Mano Hub including some of our partner locations that now stock some Dello Mano products.

Eighteen years on, the values that shaped Dello Mano remain unchanged. We still bake in small batches, we still wrap each brownie by hand, and we still believe that true luxury lies in authenticity.

The world has shifted many times, trends, technology, and global challenges have tested every small business. But handmade has always been our anchor. Our brownies and cakes have travelled nationwide through Brownie Delivery Australia, been gifted by global brands, and even shared with celebrities.

Yet for us, the greatest joy comes not from prestige but from knowing that our food connects people. Birthdays, weddings, milestones, and simple everyday treats, every brownie or cake becomes part of someone’s story.

Today, Dello Mano is often called a “must-visit” in Brisbane, but we know our roots extend beyond the city. The spark that began in Turin still shapes every decision we make.

When customers step up to the Wintergarden Brisbane City store, they encounter a beautiful array of delicious gifts, brownies and cakes. When they visit the West End Kitchen Store, they feel the energy of a working kitchen, where every tray of brownies is baked with the same devotion as our first batches.

For those unable to visit in person, our Cake Delivery Brisbane, Gold Coast & Sunshine Coast service ensures the same handmade experience can be enjoyed at home.

It is this balance, Italian inspiration and Brisbane spirit, that makes Dello Mano what it is today.

From our Classic Luxury Brownie to our seasonal Cake Collection, every creation we make continues to be guided by the same values we discovered at Salone del Gusto: respect for ingredients, authenticity in process, and joy in sharing.

As we look ahead, we remain committed to expanding our offerings without ever compromising on provenance or handmade care. Whether you order through our boutiques or enjoy our nationwide delivery, our promise remains: handmade luxury, from our family to yours.

Our story began with inspiration in Italy, took root in Brisbane’s markets, and grew into boutique stores that today welcome thousands of locals and travellers. It is a story of resilience, family, and above all, belief in the handmade.

When you visit us, in the CBD or at West End, you’re experiencing more than brownies. You’re sharing in a philosophy that began on the world stage and continues in every ribbon-tied box.

👉 Read more in our Visit Dello Mano Hub to plan your trip, or Find a store near you and discover handmade luxury in Brisbane.

• Discover why handmade food could be the true modern luxury in our Handmade Philosophy cornerstone.

• Learn about our nationwide gifting service in Brownie Delivery Australia.

• Explore same-day gifting with Cake Delivery Brisbane, Gold Coast & Sunshine Coast.

• Dive deeper into our story with Is It Dello Mano or Della Mano?, the history of our name and inspiration.