Emdad Rahman speaks to Daisy Brydon.
It is not unusual for Daisy Brydon to spend 50-60 hours plotting artistic baking creations. The talented baker was presenting masterclasses and pulling in the crowds during the Foodies Festival at the Truman Brewery in Brick Lane when we caught up to share a chat and cake. I was introduced to the sweet version of Yoda – an immaculately designed model of the Grand Master of the Jedi Order. The loveable high general of Clone Troopers really did look cute enough to eat.
As a child, Brydon discovered a love for all things cake and spent a lot of her youth creating, baking and persuading her mother and grandmother to help her sell her delicious wares to passersby on her street. “It was a doorstep shop and was my first foray into a world I have fallen in love with,” she said. “As I grew older my studies in photography really helped to develop my creative side and inspiration. I’m not the academic type and I really enjoyed creating challenging sculptures.”
The arts beckoned and the quirky Brydon pursued a career in acting. After a decade she took a break from acting to pursue her passion for baking artistry. “I was an actress for ten years,” she said. “I started to suffer from a little bit of depression and it was through my insomnia that I sought comfort in baking at night. Then I was filming a TV series and my cast and crew wouldn’t let me sleep with their baking requests. We filmed during daylight and I baked at night. It was the best therapy. I made a birthday surprise and fell in love with cakes. My passion and talent blossomed and by the end of 2012 I had launched Daisy Brydon Creations. I now specialise in 3-D sculptures.”
Brydon is building up a yummy reputation and is now a much sought after bespoke baker. “I did all the foodies during the summer,” she said. “I did Cake International up in Birmingham and will be doing the one in London next year. Internationally I’ve just been to Australia to meet my business mentor and make plans and to meet others like me from other companies. It’s all very exciting at the moment.” She must be doing well. Her clientele include Matt Le Blanc, Wilson Luna and Jessica Hynes.
Brydon’s cakes are made to order and are never outsourced. “Everything is baked fresh for each client, ensuring you receive the highest quality, not just in the decoration, but in taste too.” Brydon is set for a successful career ahead and she spoke to me about her plans: “My long term future plans are to have my own show. I love teaching. I love inspiring people. One of my passions is to teach disadvantaged kids and also to teach, support and mentor offending teenagers and youth who are in prisons.”
Inspiration and mentoring are key to success and Brydon has experienced both. “My inspiration is definitely Duff Goldman from Charm City Cakes in Baltimore. “For anyone who wishes to indulge in food art like me I say: go for for it! You don’t need to spend a lot of money on training. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on equipment. A lot of the equipment you can use from home, and YouTube is a great place to learn. I’m self-taught, and I haven’t taken any courses.”
Brydon’s mission is to create memories through awe inspiring cakes that taste as good as they look and will have people talking for years. “I get inspiration from everywhere, from art and fashion to furniture and architecture,” she told me. With such artistry and attention to detail, it’s not difficult not see why this baker will soar the heady heights.
•For more information on Daisy and her baking, go to: www.daisybrydoncreations.com