Growing up, I was certain I'd be an artist. But the starving part didn’t appeal to me, so I trained as a pastry chef instead — at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Germany, which turned out to be basically the same thing, just with better snacks.

I learned to temper chocolate, make gelato, macarons, plated desserts, croquembouche, croissants — classic French patisserie, all from scratch, all by hand, usually while someone French (Hi Serge!) was quietly judging and checking my technique. After that came large-scale wedding cakes: the kind that require structural engineering and emotional resilience.

Now a bit burnt out, I needed to escape the kitchen. I WWOOFed in New Zealand, Australia and Japan, volunteered in gardens, studied horticulture, worked on a superyacht, moved to Australia, and had a baby — not necessarily in that order.

That baby is now six, which means I finally have the space to return to patisserie and making people happy through food— this time with a deeper appreciation for plants, seasons, and the growers around me.

I make custom cakes that actually taste as good as they look. No fondant (unless you REALLY have to) and no artificial flavours (I am not budging there). Nothing is too sweet. I source locally where I can, care deeply about ingredients, and think beautiful food and honest food should be the same thing.

If you've got an idea — wild, considered, or slightly chaotic — I'd love to make it delicious.

xxx, Viv