Sarah turns food to art

“I’ve been a chef for eight years now and have worked in many restaurants, at lodges and
bakeries. I recently started my own business called Baby Cakes Patisserie,” Sarah explains. “I’ve always had a love for anything creative. My family is creative, so I grew up around all forms of art. My dad was a photographer and played guitar, my sisters are also very creative and share our love of art, from
photography, music, painting, architecture, fashion or food.

“I took art as a subject at school as well as consumer studies and fell in love with the different mediums in which you can express yourself. “I wasn’t the best painter but I learned that art is subjective and all about inspiration and emotions,” she said. She said that she has always loved being in the kitchen and enjoyed cooking with her mother from a young age.

“From there I got into baking, it became a stress reliever for me during high school and that’s when I knew I wanted to be a chef. I studied food preparation and patisserie for two years.
“I do a bit of painting, mosaic art and crafts. I enjoy simple clean and abstract art. “I don’t think I have a
particular artist that I look up to, but I draw a lot of inspiration from my surroundings, whether it is from nature and its beautiful patterns and colours to people and animals that have intriguing things
about them,” she added.

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Sarah said she is her own worst critic and that she had to adjust a lot of her recipes to bake in the high humidity of Hoedspruit. “Being a chef has taught me that planning is the biggest priority when it comes to balancing everything. Keeping schedules and adjusting them when needed is what helps me balance my business, my social life and hobbies. “I’m lucky enough to have a lot of support and like-minded people in my life that just make it so much easier to achieve everything I want to.

“Being a chef is so much more than just baking, cooking and creating. “Food is always associated with celebrations, gatherings and conversations. I think it’s beautiful that I get to be a part of it. I enjoy the creative aspect of being a chef because there are no limits. “I can interpret a person’s idea and just take it beyond that,” said Sarah.

“I do from wedding cakes to birthday cakes. My style is very simplistic but effective. I work with a lot of buttercream and chocolate and try to keep up with what is trending as well,” she explains. Sarah’s career mostly focused on patisserie and cakes, but she can cook anything from platters to course meals as well. She loves collaborating with other chefs and businesses and enjoys sharing and learning from these experiences. Contact Sarah on 082 825 0566 or Babycakespatisseriehoed@ gmail.com or find her on Instagram @ Sarah Harrison decorating one of her cakes. Babycakespatisserie.