OUR STORY
AN ARGENTINE TRADITION, A FAMILY LEGACY.
An ambassador, a Dutch recipe, dulce de leche, and the passion of a family of pastry chefs.
Our story begins in the 1960s. Charo Balbiani started out helping her mother bake cakes for customers in the Recoleta neighborhood, where they lived. Back then, the business had a simple but winning formula: they only sold lemon pie and apple cake. The cakes were so good that word quickly spread, and iconic local restaurants like “La Cárcel,” “El Ceibal,” “Las Delicias,” and “El Sanjuanino” soon became regular clients.
Charo brought a new wave of energy to the venture, adding new recipes and expanding the client list. But the real turning point came with a creation that would change the business forever: the Rogel.
A family relative who served as a diplomat had worked in several European countries. While in the Netherlands, he discovered a fruit mille-feuille (layered pastry) that he found incredible. He loved it so much that he secured the recipe and had it prepared in every country he was stationed in. Naturally, when he returned to Argentina, the recipe came with him.
The Rogel was an instant hit. It became widely famous, and the customer base grew rapidly. One of the most iconic spots was the Palermo Racecourse (Hipódromo de Palermo). In the 60s, it was a true tradition to stop by the official grandstand for a turkey sandwich and a Rogelito (a mini Rogel). On race days, they would sell as many as 3,000 Rogelitos! The Rogel and Rogelitos also made their way to another landmark of the era: the restaurants along the River Plate waterfront (Costanera). “Los Platitos” was the first to jump on board, and shortly after, Rogel was available all across the area.
It has been over 60 years since Charo first started this project. Later on, her husband, Richard Balbiani, joined her, and together they transformed a family venture into a pastry company that, through hard work and dedication, continues to grow today.
Over time, we’ve added more people, modern machinery, and better systems to improve production—but we have never lost the artisanal spirit we started with. Today, we still craft our products in our Villa Urquiza factory, maintaining the same family spirit that has guided us since day one.
HANDMADE PASTRIES SINCE 1962: THE SAME FAMILY SPIRIT SINCE DAY ONE.
