Sometimes, integration abroad can take the shape of bread – even in Peru. After all, Lima has always been a fertile ground for cultural blends and immigrant communities seamlessly woven into local life. Food acts as the ultimate common language, and we came across a shining example of Italian entrepreneurship devoted to the art of baking: La Panetteria, tucked away in the vibrant neighbourhood of Barranco.
Lilly Waller is a mix of shyness and boldness, an artist at heart who radiates a free spirit, with a truly cosmopolitan passport. Born in Lucca to a German mother and an English father, she moved to Lima 18 years ago, carried by a wave of dreams and love. “I arrived in Peru at 26, and back then the idea of baking bread was nowhere on my radar. Our project started almost as a game, and I could have never imagined it would work out so well.”
In the name of sourdough
Her all-round bakery, fittingly named La Panetteria, was born in December 2016 together with her partners, Johana Iriarte (an Argentine from Malargüe-Mendoza who has lived in Peru for 13 years) and Charo de las Casas (Peruvian).
A dynamic female trio that has stolen the hearts of Peruvians, loaf after loaf, to the point of doubling their space just a few years after opening.
“It all started about nine years ago, when sourdough baking wasn’t really a thing in Lima and the culture around it was almost non-existent,” Lilly recalls. “As an Italian abroad, I really missed having good daily bread, the only bread you could find here was semi-industrial, made with commercial flours and yeasts. Natural leavening was virtually unknown. So, with an Argentine friend, who’s now one of my partners, we began experimenting at home. At first, the results were disastrous, but as we got better and started enjoying it, we dreamed bigger and began searching for a space where we could open a bakery with equipment better suited than what we had in our kitchens. We even sat down with a public official to figure out spaces, permits, and possible incentives. Then came the not-so-easy hunt for a master baker willing to join us in what must have looked like pure madness. Luckily, we found someone who, despite being trained in classic baking, embraced our vision wholeheartedly and grew passionate about sourdough, and about the entire project.”
Both bakeries are filled with wooden details, paintings by artist friends, and an atmosphere that feels as homely as it is elegant, with a touch of charming eccentricity tying it all together. In the newest location, a mezzanine upstairs offers cozy seating that overlooks the coffee counter below. The aroma of countless loaves drifting out of the open-view bakery transports your senses straight to Italy, while the pastry displays could just as easily belong in a Parisian boulangerie, lined with rows of buttery, French-inspired delights. A bite of the Treccia with Brazil nuts and chestnuts, or the Danish pastry filled with baked custard and berries, leaves no room for disappointment: texture, flavour, and fragrance all shine through with unmistakably European flair.
“At the beginning, we only made croissants, pain au chocolat, and the classic Danish – which people here call factura – because both the space and the kitchen in our first shop were tiny,” Lilly recalls. “But the warm response from customers, the opening of our second location, and our curiosity to experiment pushed us to create a real pastry line that follows the seasons. With viennoiserie, we’ve been a little crazy, only this year did we finally buy a mechanical laminator. From day one, we had always laminated everything by hand. The team couldn’t take it anymore, because keeping the right temperature while working only with real butter is exhausting! Still, that kind of sums up the spirit of the whole project: we grew little by little, without big investments, and without trying to design a ‘cool’ place destined for success from the start. Every single piece – from fridges to chairs to vintage tables inherited from different spots – was added step by step, according to our means, our needs, and our personalities. It’s a spontaneous style, not a planned one, even in how we communicate. When we first opened, people were already coming through the doors even though we didn’t even have an Instagram page. That natural flow of loyal customers makes me think we may have filled a genuine need.”
From wheat fields to creative exploration
La Panetteria has thus become one of Lima’s standout artisanal bakeries, always putting quality first: using only live sourdough, carefully respecting long fermentation times, and maintaining integrity throughout the supply chain to ensure consistently excellent results.
“It was challenging to find serious wheat producers, largely due to a cultural gap in the baking sector” Lilly explains. “Over time, we managed to connect with a cooperative of millers in northern Peru who work mainly with whole and organic flours, using native grains stone-milled for authenticity. They cultivate at different altitudes, preserving native varieties, with a focus on rye – an ancient grain they call Centenario – and maíz morado, which we mix with whole wheat flour to make a bread with its characteristic purple hue, sprinkled with sunflower seeds. From Cusco, we source barba negra, similar to the Sicilian Timilia wheat.”
The result of these flours and long sourdough fermentations is loaves with a gentle, even crumb and a pronounced wheat or cereal flavor. Melodic crusts and a strikingly genuine aromatic profile accompany every bite. Beyond the classics, the more experimental creations reveal fascinating cultural blends, like the turmeric and quinoa bread or the herb-and-olive loaf with a distinctly Mediterranean flair.
If you’re craving a taste of Italy, don’t miss La Panetteria’s olive oil focaccia, it’ll teleport you straight to the soft, comforting textures of your fondest memories. This range of products impresses not only for its flavours but also for the creative research and the desire to build a connected system, all presented with a light, effortless touch. “We were in love with Kamut, but it wasn’t available,” Lilly recalls. “So I tracked down Enzo, an Italian living in Nazca, who had a small plot of organically grown Khorasan wheat. He couldn’t guarantee a steady supply, so he decided to hand over his plot to the cooperative we were working with, making it consistently available for us. We helped each other, because the relationship between small farmers and artisanal shops can be a major hurdle if you don’t find the right channels or people”.
Browsing through the second location, we also spot a small menu that hints at even more ways their industriousness comes to life. “In our newest shop, we also serve cooked dishes,” Lilly adds. “We make pasta, soups, creamy purees, salads, and daily specials. We’ve expanded our pastry selection too, offering cakes and sweets inspired by both local traditions and Italian classics with a twist. Carefully selected coffees and herbal teas share the spotlight with fresh juices, made on the spot with the amazing fruits you find here in Peru”.
Unable to resist temptation, we let ourselves be won over by the iconic sandwich filled with roast pork, mayonnaise, and homemade pickled vegetables; the enticing vegetarian empanada with olives and cheese; a slice of the traditional Peruvian Three Milk Cake or a Flan made from leftover croissants from the previous day, in a delightful idea of sustainability.
“We are neither entrepreneurs, nor chefs, nor professional bakers”, Lilly concludes. “We are three friends with shared passions who came together naturally”.
“Now we’ve become a key bakery in the city – she continues – even supplying several restaurants, but that was never our goal. I think that’s the most beautiful part of acting in a way that prioritises your own well-being and that of the community around you. In this sense, Lima will always hold a special place in my heart for the opportunities it has given me and for the ways it may continue to allow us to express ourselves through our bakery in the future”.
