1996 Group is to open its third hospitality concept, Toasteé, at Westfield White City this September.
The 15-cover dessert venue has been co-created by 1996 Group founder Florence Mae Maglanoc and her longtime collaborator Adrian Kyle Felipe, and will centre its offer around French toast, ube drinks and house-made ice cream.
1996 Group currently brings together Filipino restaurant Donia and Panadera Bakery, which operates sites in Soho and Marylebone. The group describes its wider focus as modern Filipino food, culture and identity.
Donia, located in Kingly Court, currently holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand, while Panadera focuses on Filipino-inspired breads, baked goods and sandwiches.
Toasteé will be the group’s first concept dedicated primarily to desserts.
Its menu will take French toast and combine it with flavours associated with the Philippines and wider East and Southeast Asia.
Three signature French toast dishes will feature toppings including ube jam, matcha ganache and Milo cookies and cream, with each served on a whipped cream base.
A more traditional version with butter and maple syrup will also be available, alongside rotating seasonal specials.
The bread will draw on Panadera’s existing baking programme, using the group’s fresh bread as the foundation for the French toast offer.
Ube, the purple yam widely used across Filipino desserts, will feature prominently throughout the drinks menu.
The range will include Ube Milk, Ube Foam Matcha, Ube Latte, Ube Banana and Ube Horchata alongside speciality coffee.
House-made ice cream will also form part of the offer, with initial flavours including Ube, Pandan Coconut, Strawberry Cheesecake and Miso Caramel.
Brownies, cookies and changing seasonal ice cream flavours are also planned.
Felipe has worked with Maglanoc since 2019, initially joining the business on a part-time basis before progressing to lead work across bread, pastry, desserts and ice cream development.
Following a period away from the company, he has returned to co-create Toasteé, making it the first 1996 Group brand he has developed alongside Maglanoc.
The Westfield venue will accommodate 15 guests and has been designed around curved architectural elements inspired by the shape of the French toast itself.
Terracotta, stainless steel, natural wood and white finishes will feature across the interior.
Felipe said: “Ube has been at the heart of my career in hospitality, inspiring countless desserts and beverages over the years, so it’s incredibly rewarding to bring one of London’s first ube-forward concepts alongside Florence, who has been a massive inspiration to me.
“We’re building on the same commitment to quality and craftsmanship at Panadera Bakery, using our signature fresh bread as the foundation for French toast, and we hope Toasteé introduces more people to the versatility of ube.”
Maglanoc established 1996 Group after leaving Maginhawa Group in 2025, retaining Panadera and Donia as part of the new business.
Since then, the group has positioned the two brands under a shared focus on Filipino food and culture while developing additional hospitality concepts.
Toasteé will open at Westfield White City in September 2026, with the exact opening date yet to be announced.
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