About

NORMA KELLY

Praline

Praline opened its door in 2017 Pastry shop and café in 2017. In 2020 it evolved into a Pastry and Chocolate shop, which has always been the dream of its owner Norma Kelly. At Praline we serve a selection of individual French pastries and cake slices in our counter as well as a freshly made sandwiches and a selection of hot and cold drinks. We make cakes for all occasions and bespoke cakes, as well as afternoon tea trays, picnics and special orders of group and corporate entertaining. Everything is made by hand in our little kitchen using fresh ingredients, Irish and local where possible.
In 2020 we were delighted to be able to add handmade artisan chocolate truffles and bars to our offering. We produce small batches of truffles and bars which are made in our specialised chocolate production area.

THE OWNWER

Norma left school in Mitchelstown in 2002 for the bright lights of Dublin to begin her training as a pastry chef. In the years that followed Norma studied and worked as a pastry chef in Dublin and beyond, including some time in the south of France. Norma’s achievements include a degree in Culinary Arts with Pastry major, a Masters in Food Product Development and Culinary innovation and a diploma in Third level Education, from Dublin Institute of Technology. Norma subsequently returned to DIT as a Lecturer where she taught pastry for almost ten years until she returned home to follow her dream and open Praline.

Norma’s pastry skills have been honed from a very young age, starting when she was just a little girl pulling up a chair to stand beside her mother or grandmother as they prepared cakes and tarts so often at home. However she developed and perfected these skills by working hard in the industry and training regularly for competitions, most notably the Cacao Barry UK and Irish Chocolate Masters in 2015, where she won ‘Best Moulded Praline’ award.

WHERE DID THE NAME COME FROM

Praline is an indulgent combination of caramel, almonds and hazelnuts blended together to a smooth paste which marries delightfully with chocolate. A moulded chocolate bonbon or sweet can then also be called a ‘Praline’. Norma felt that ‘Praline’ then would be the perfect name to reflect her love of all things pastry and chocolate.

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