#Cake #artist #hobby #business
“After four years as a pastry chef in the company, receiving many compliments and thanks for the excellent cakes that were exactly what the customers wanted, I was inspired to improve. Initially, I was motivated by my daughters, who encouraged me to start my own journey and to try harder because people liked my cakes and holiday snacks. However, it was important to think about how to operate, because stability was important to me. Start your own business
a risky move because you can never be sure if there will be enough buyers or if everything will work out as planned. My family was and still is my main support in this process,” confectioner Inga Midika from Straupe shares her experience.
Working as an individual entrepreneur is not only baking cakes, but also managing the business. It is an inviting but demanding path that offers many benefits and challenges. A confectioner can fully realize his creative vision by experimenting with different flavors, shapes and decoration techniques to create unique products according to the wishes of customers. By working individually, you can provide personal service and customize products according to customers’ tastes.
Time management skills are essential to ensure work efficiency to prepare orders on time. It is also important to understand the financial flow and set the right price to ensure the profitability of the business. When working individually, daily work creates passion and satisfaction, because you can see concrete results, receive recognition for creativity. It is a path that requires zeal, determination and love for the art of pastry, with the satisfaction of successfully finished products.
“How fantastic it was for the first time as an individual merchant to prepare a product for the market, which is created according to my vision, for which I set the price myself! I was pleasantly surprised that I sold almost everything baked in the first sale. It is a real feeling of joy! It is a pleasure to sell my products and to see that I have regular customers who come back to me again at the next market. In the summer market in Skulte, we didn’t even have time to display the products, when the customers were already standing in line, waiting for their favorite delicacies,” says Inga Midika with a smile and adds that she tries to increase the variety of treats every time by diversifying the products.
For Inga Midika, baking goatskin delicacies has been a passion since childhood. Her mother’s sister was a professional pastry chef. Mom took Inga, a six-year-old girl, with her more than once when she visited her sister at the bakery. The perfume of the pastry shop inspired Inga, when she was allowed, she was happy to help. The dough for each patty was rolled out with great care, attention was paid to every little detail, so that every product that reached the customer had an excellent taste and appearance.
When I. Midika had a family, her skills as a confectioner came in handy, baking delicacies herself during the holidays. In the course of life, a situation arose when it was necessary to change the workplace, there was an opportunity to work closer to home. The new job sometimes required helping out with baking. Inga began to learn, develop and improve her skills. Over time, customers began to recognize her handwriting, because even though the recipes may be the same, each pastry chef has his own special way of realizing them. With care for each product, I. Midika won the trust of customers, there were customers who asked her to bake a cake or other delicacies. This made her appreciate her work more.
I. Midika started experimenting at home on how to prepare healthy treats. He was encouraged to do so by the health problems of his sister’s son, when there were various food allergies, the boy could not eat sweets that can be bought in a store. Tried and tried to create healthy and tasty pastries that would be suitable for the little one. This is how the path of independent growth slowly began.
The production of “Inga’s delicacies” is made only from natural ingredients, in the summers the confectioner herself picks the berries that are used for the fillings of cakes and tarts. But when decorating cakes, I. Midika always uses fresh berries. This makes the production special. Every detail, every nuance is always discussed individually with each customer in order to be able to make the perfect cake, sometimes we even have to change the recipe in order to fully satisfy the customer’s wishes. People appreciate such an individual approach.
There are plans to expand operations, but there are several risks. “First of all, I know that I will continue the last stage of the cake – putting the ingredients together – myself to ensure quality. It is important for me to know that everything is done carefully. Growth also comes with concerns about the sheer volume that might exceed my current capabilities. I’m afraid that due to the volume, I won’t be able to participate in the fairs myself anymore, but it’s very important to me, because it’s how I can form a feedback relationship with the buyer. However, I am interested in developing my company and taking on new challenges,” says the confectioner with a smile.
There is no shortage of pastry shops in the Cēsis region and on the Straupe side as well, offering various delicacies. But I. Midika says: “We don’t consider anyone a competitor, because everyone has their own niche and specifics. I wish everyone luck, we are small home producers who try and support each other.”
