The pistachio maritozzo leans into traditional sweet Italian versions of this dessert. Photo: Tenele Conway.
What happens when two Italians go looking for a joint side-hustle? Some bloody good food, that’s what.
Popping up every second week on Eastern Valley Way, behind Grazier Lane, Sapori Lab is bringing a mix of traditional and contemporary Italian treats to the neighbourhood, and Belconnen is embracing it with punters queuing in the spring sunshine for a taste.
Having started in 2024 at the Old Bus Depot Markets, Sapori Lab isn’t new to Canberra, but its owners, Alex and Vince, are taking a measured approach to business growth, with the new pop-up as the next step in the brand’s evolution.
“We’re approaching this business sensibly and growing sustainably. We both work full-time jobs at the moment, and this is what we do with the rest of our time,” Vince explains.
Alessandro Puglisi (left) and Vincenzo Pagano started Sapori Lab in 2024. Photo: Tenele Conway.
Held in front of Cloud Kitchen in Belconnen, the shared commercial cooking space from which Sapori Lab operates, the fortnightly pop-ups will each follow a theme, offering a focused selection of desserts and savoury treats inspired by Alex and Vince’s home country, Italy.
“Many of our recipes come from our families; we call back home for tips on the best way to do things, and they’re always happy to share,” says Alex.
With two pop-ups already under their belts, the pair have given Canberrans the chance to get their hands on maritozzo, filled brioche buns, in both sweet and savoury forms.
Traditional versions come generously filled with sweetened cream and topped with fruit and nuts such as blueberries and pistachios, while savoury editions are packed with whipped ricotta and Italian meats including mortadella.
True to their heritage, maritozzi have an origin story rooted in 19th-century Roman tradition.
“The maritozzo comes from Rome, and the name comes from the Italian word for husband ‘, marito’. There’s an Italian tradition of men proposing to their girlfriends with the ring hidden inside,” explains Vince.
The sun-dried tomato maritozzo is another Vince-take on the Roman dessert, Maritozzo. Photo: Tenele Conway.
With a new theme rolling around each fortnight, regulars can expect different items to appear on the menu, including Sapori Lab’s impressively crisp sfogliatelle, traditional cannoli, a particularly tempting tiramisu, and heartier savoury dishes such as its mushroom croque-monsieur.
“I’ve been a chef for 12 years, so this is a good opportunity for me to not only create dishes that are traditional, but I like to play around with more modern flavours. That’s how the savoury maritozzo came about,” Vince says.
The savoury mortadella maritozzo stems from Vince’s love of embracing modern twists on traditional Italian desserts. Photo: Tenele Conway.
Vince takes his role as chief baker seriously, and making the brioche for the maritozzi is a four-day commitment. It begins on Wednesday night with the mother yeast, before he turns it into dough on Thursday evening and bakes the buns on Friday night.
That final bake can keep him in the kitchen until midnight, only for him to return at 5:30 am on the morning of the pop-up. He’s already considering pushing that start even earlier, allowing more time to fill, finish and carefully assemble each product before the first customers arrive.
To stay up to date on pop-up dates and themes, follow Sapori Lab on Instagram.