Ana Paula Sater brings the roots of the bush to the Pinheiros market

Ana Paula Sater, 56, is a woman from the bush. Passes months harvesting honey on his farm in Pantanal, where he lived for years. Today, he lives in the middle of Serra da Cantareira, the largest urban forest in São Paulo. There, cultivate vegetable garden and chickens. It has no social networks and does not like to expose itself – to be married, three decades ago, with singer and actor Almir Sater. Prefer a quieter routine.

It was like this, without drawing much attention, that she created roots in the Pinheiros Municipal Market, where she maintains three restaurants. He was even president of the Association of Traders, one of the rare women in this position, ”said the position in December.

Ana Paula was responsible for renewing the west zone kitchens menu after a series of men’s chefs: Checho Gonzales, Alex Atala and Rodrigo Oliveira – just the last one remains there. She brought other changes, such as shaking the market with fairs and events and implementing selective collection.

He was a baker friend who introduced her to the address. He enchanted and rented a box. “São Paulo is such a hard city. In a way, markets are public spaces where you can feel culture, experience gastronomy, fruits,” she says.

The gastronomist always enjoyed cooking. “My father had a restaurant for years. My mother was an excellent cook and sweetness. I already have this strong side.”

He attended gastronomy to learn the base and cook for friends and family, but I didn’t imagine it was going to open business. “But life is leading you without having to make much strength.”

At home, he makes his own bread, natural fermentation, and turned the garage into a bakery with ballast oven.

“I like to eat what I do. I’m almost self -sufficient,” he says. “The Pantanal is a distant place of everything, you have to produce much of what you eat. So being in the kitchen is a strong part in our life. Almir loves cooking too.”

Thus came the desire to open an artisan bakery. He traveled to France to take a Boulangerie course and inaugurated Feliciana in 2018. The house is outside and has a grandmother’s home, with crochet towels, plants and porcelain. Ana Paula makes the sweets, breads and everything there. Uses the honey of your bees, ricota, cultivates vegetables. In addition, it has composting and captures rainwater.

In 2023, he went to Italy to make handcrafted pasta and founded Manduque. Last year came Azur do Mar, dedicated to fish and seafood, bought from neighboring pits. He invited chefs and partners Mariane Adania and Fabio Sinbo to lead the kitchens.

With the restaurants came a little, inevitable exposure. But your focus remains the food. “That’s where I want to stay, it’s the size I like.” This doesn’t mean she stops there. It will open an ice cream shop with Brazilian fruits gelato. Made by the hands themselves.

Municipal Market of Pinheiros
R. Pedro Cristi, 89, Pinheiros, West. @Feliciana.Paes, @azur.do.mar, @manduque.massas