Nov 10, 2020
TV baker and food judge Cynthia Stroud grew up in Nigeria, learning budgeting from her grandfather being paid in chickens and goats and about baking from her mother. In the UK she went from living off £10 a week, to running her million pound cake-making business, Pretty Gorgeous Cake Co, and being honoured by the Queen. Her charity Jedidiah UK supports the many people left in poverty due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With stories from Nigeria, New York, Toronto and being called ‘me duck’ in the sleepy town of Hertford.
On this episode we cover:
Growing up loved but quite poor in Nigeria
Education being the key to everything
Living in the UK on £10 a week
The pride in making a fixed budget last
Lockdown testing people’s cooking skills
Children in living in poverty
Not all of us being ‘in the same boat’
Being brought up by grandparents in Nigeria
Her grandfather being paid in yams and goats and chickens
Hiding underneath the chambers desk doing her homework
How the death of her grandfather changed everything
The shock of going to live with her mum
Finding God, oh and boys
Going to university age 15
The rainy season in Nigeria flooding entire roads
Saving for years to visit the UK
Thinking the world had ended when it was dark at 5pm
The surprise of different sunset times around the world
Moving to sleepy Buckingham
The surprise of people calling her ‘my duck’
Applying for 111 jobs
The UK being bountiful place for opportunities
Using her actions to help change racist preconceptions
People underestimating you can be a good thing
The element of surprise in business
Employing young female apprentices to give them the opportunity
How surprise skills can become your skill (cake!)
Gender prejudice in the work place
How ‘you win people by your actions not your words’
Feeling the weight of being judged if not dressed properly
Wanting to ‘make each place a little bit of home’
Preferring to return to travel destinations
Eating all day long in Spain and Portugal
Shopping in New York
Toronto feeling very welcoming
Cake representing countries
British cakes being amongst the best in the world
Cake representing the happiest times in our lives
A story behind every cake recipe
Lisa’s Nan’s scones (video here!)
Nigeria, Harry Belafonte and pancakes