I often get asked how or why I got into baking... So (down to a very rare, quiet afternoon) I thought I’d write a short little blog to answer those questions. Enjoy :)
When I was 19 years old I got offered a job in an office. After a few years of going out, having fun and going on many girls holidays I thought it was about time I settled down… 19 and ready to settle down?!?! I know! Anyway, I’d always loved seeing smartly dressed people walking into Starbucks with their suits on, laptops in hand, ordering their daily flat white. So naturally I was delighted at the thought of becoming one of these intellectual human beings.
5 years later however, I found myself stuck in a rut. I was working in that same office, with no hope of progression and no real passion for the job anymore. To cut a long story short I ended up being diagnosed with clinical depression. Something I never in a million years thought would capture me. It took a tight hold of me and buried me deeply into a dark, black hole. I couldn’t leave the house and I ended up being unable to work.
One morning, I was getting ready to go to my best friend’s birthday barbeque and decided to make a cake with all her favourite things on the top (milky way stars, maltesers and more). All I wanted out of it was to make her smile. I was over the moon with the finished product (I’m not sure why looking back now!) but for a first attempt, it wasn’t bad. More importantly, she absolutely loved it.
I began baking more & more. It was a little release from the real world and I loved experimenting with different recipes. I baked personalised goodies for family and friends & couldn’t wait to see their faces light up when I delivered them to their door. I can’t quite put my finger on it but there is a whole different level of satisfaction that comes with making somebody else smile. Even more so when it is someone you love. Slowly but surely my depression shifted and I felt like I had found a purpose again.
3 years down the line and here I am… little old me… fully booked most weeks making celebration cakes for weddings birthdays, baby showers and more. I make corporate cupcakes, design dessert tables and have even hosted children’s parties! My very own pop up shop is open in Corbridge every Saturday & Sunday and I could not be prouder of how far I have come in such a short space of time.
There is no hidden agenda behind writing this blog and I don’t want anything from anyone by writing it. I suppose I’d just like to inspire others to follow their dreams. When it comes to work, you absolutely HAVE to find something that sets your little soul on fire. You cannot stop looking until you find it and once you do, whatever it may be, work as hard as you possibly can… and then a bit harder. It isn’t going to be easy, but the most rewarding things in life never are.
Love what you do & don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t live your dream.
