A bit about me!

People often ask me “How did you get into teaching cakes and art?”
The true answer is my mum was a great rum cake baker when I was growing up and she made it all look so effortless. The art was always a part of me, and as a child I was always painting and drawing at home and at school. I was introduced to Kiln Clay at around the age of 6. I started baking independently as a teenager and was very hit and miss!! lol!! (There’s hope for us all!! ) I very much harvested an unteachable spirit as a teen. I never wanted to follow instructions from anyone or anything. Yes I was a rebel, but it went deeper than that…I just didn’t trust ANYONE!!

Due to this lack of trust, I had no desire to follow any kind of formal instructions. Whether that was flat pack furniture, or baking cakes! I wasn’t an avid baker as a teen but when I did bake (with my own recipe, measurements and ingredients), it was quite rightly a “some win and some lose” production! My class mates would literally fight to eat some of my cakes when I brought them into school! Lol! Scramble!!

However, I also remember once a friend and neighbour (whose mother was a pastry chef) made mini delicious spiced cherry cakes and all our friends loved them! So off I went to make them based on what I could taste and the basic ingredients noted down by my friend (without a cooking method). I used granulated sugar (a big no no for cakes! Cake recipes almost always call for caster sugar!), I whipped up what I thought was a great storm! When I finished baking it I thought “Not bad!” One of our mutual friends came round for a cuppa and I gave her one of my best effort, mini spiced cherry cakes, and when she left I spotted it in the bin! This was my first discouraging sign, that I perhaps was not the great baker I thought I was at that time! Lol!! I had experimented with decorating ready-made cakes and seemed to ace decorating naturally. I had a lot to learn about instructions and the wonderful science of cake baking! I then found faith and became a christian at age 22 and began a journey of self discovery through a process of career elimination because I read in the Bible “Your gift will make room for you.” I just needed to find out what my gift was, as most of us do!! lol! So I tried several different careers, a Nursery Nurse, a Care Assistant, a Sales Assistant, a Radio Talk Show Host (in London and Los Angeles).

I later embarked on a Journalism Degree and then a Teaching PGCE Degree. I qualified as a Level 2 Beauty Therapist and The Princes Trust (now the King’s Trust) supported me to start my own Beauty Therapy Business, which I enjoyed for almost 2 years on the high street. Shortly after that I became a Wedding Planner following a course with Elysian Wedding Planning.

One evening, I was shopping in the supermarket and I saw caster sugar (not sure why I bought it TBH! Lol!:). So a while after that on a weekend I saw the caster sugar in my kitchen cupboard and I looked at the back of the packaging and there it had a recipe for a Victoria Sponge. I can only say that maturity and peace as a Christian caused me to relax and begin the journey of trusting instructions. I made the cake according to the packaging, and I was delighted at how light and fluffy it came out!! I obtained some photos of wedding cake postcards, from my sister and I copied the designs of these cakes - like I said, I never struggled with cake design…understanding cake baking science and following baking methods was the previous, primary problem.

Sunday morning came and I offered the decorated cake to the church congregation at the end of the service. As a result of this they started ordering cakes from me and my business began! I then embarked on an Art Diploma where I specialised in landscapes and portraiture. I also did some specialist cake decorating training at the Peggy Porschen Academy in Belgravia. With my Art Diploma, cake experience, training and teaching degree I began teaching art and cakes across London!

For the last 10 years I’ve been selling celebration cakes, paintings (I’ve had the opportunity to exhibit at Tate Modern) and also taught Corporate Staff Team Building Activities, Hen Parties, Couples Creative Classes, Best Friends Creative Classes, Parents & Offspring Creative Classes, etc. These Cake Classes and Art Classes are currently based in East Dulwich, Brockley and Covent Garden. I teach all levels, from novice to advanced. This Includes  people with insecurities, rebellious attitudes, and trust issues, (just like my former self!). I teach just about anyone with an interest in creative expression!

If I can do it, you can do it too!

Click on the link to book your chosen class! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain! xx