LQ Magazine catches up with Etam Dedhar...



How long have you been cake baking and doing sugarcraft?

“I’ve always been doing it  - I made my own wedding cake and my friends cakes.  When I had my children, I made their cakes. I picked it up again in 2010 when my son showed me some cookery programmes. I started with a Facebook page and it took off from there. Now people all over the world are hearing about my cakes.”  

 

 

What do you enjoy/love the most about baking/cake making?

“I like all aspects of cooking and baking. I wouldn’t be happy if I thought the cake wasn’t going to taste nice.  I love the sugar flower work.  I wish I could do hours and hours of that but just haven’t got the time. It’s very therapeutic.”

 

What did you do before starting your own business in cake making & sugarcraft?

“When I first left school I had a job sketching clothes for designers.  I kept in the rag trade doing modelling but I didn’t like being pulled about too much. A job came up for a sales assistant in Marks & Spencer’s and then I got the job doing chef work in the kitchen. I went to Night College to get my qualification in Catering. I worked there until I got married and had kids.  My eldest son is 27 this year!”

 

 

What inspired you to start your own business?

“You feel part of people’s celebrations when you make their cakes.”

 

 

What has been the highlight of your career?

“Definitely having the chance to make cakes for celebrities. My daughter Natalie helped me get the opportunity to do  Peter Andre’s cake. To think that I’ve only been doing cakes for a little while and being his 40th - that was really nice of them to want me to make their cake.”

 

 

Tell me about your other celebrity experiences.

“My son Leigh helped me get Keith Lemon. He contacted Keith whom which I made cakes for.  He loved the mini cupcakes. Keith tweeted me saying how much he loved the mini cakes.”

“The cake I made for Denise Welch was arranged through her agent, who contacted me. Her management contacted me via telephone to let me know that she needed a cake.  It turned out to be for Denise Welch for her fiancé’s birthday.”

 

 

Where do you see yourself in five/ten years?

“I don’t really look that far ahead. I would love to be able to have my own shop with girls that I have trained to run it - really artistic girls to create the cakes.

 

 

How supportive have your family been?

“They have been very supportive – My husband Shabu is loving that I’m doing this.  My children Leigh, Natalie and Ollie are very proud of me.”

 

 

What advice would you give for those thinking of starting a business?

“Think positive - I believe things will happen if you think positively. Aim higher – Aim big and think outside the box, and soak up as much information as you can.  You can never stop learning.”

 

“If you do what you love, love what you do - the rest will come to you.”

 

For your chance to win a cake from Bespoke Cakes by Etam, click here...