Ep 2 - From Passion to Profits with Lawyer turned Baker, Toyin Opebiyi of Tees Bakery
Toyin (Tutan) Opebiyi epitomises the saying that “necessity is the mother of all invention”. Spinning off the need to create an amateur birthday cake for her son, she has built an amazing business baking the most amazing wedding cakes that have been featured in multiple magazines including Vogue, Harpers Bazar and NuBride. Tees Bakery was awarded the title of Best Wedding Cake Company by the UK wedding awards 2018.
On this episode, we discuss Toyin’s path from law to the business and the many diverse stops she took in between. Pick up your pen and paper guys! This is a masterclass in launching a new business/brand and turning your passion to profits.
Watch/listen to this episode
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR CONVERSATION
Be consistent, experiment & seek feedback
Plan, Save and Confidently “step into the unknown”
Focus on visibility not just profit; Strategically present & position your product or service in the market to attract the customer you want
Start small, think big! stay focused and just do it
Give back, mentor others, don’t compete, collaborate!
About Toyin
Tees Bakery was founded in 2015 by Toyin (Tutan) Opebiyi. As a trained Barrister who eventually ended up in the banking sector, one of the very limited resources she had was time. So, when her first son turned 3 she looked for a baker to make his birthday cake. Unfortunately, she was unable to find someone who could create the 'Jungle Book' themed cake she wanted and so on the advice and direction of a family friend, she decided to make it herself. The results were amazing for a novice and in that moment a desire and talent for the fine art of cake making and cake decoration was unlocked.
This passion for exquisite and high end luxury cake creation drove her to study the works of notable cake designers like Silvia Weinstock, Fiona Cairns, Ron Ben Israel, Rosalind Miller and Elizabeth Solaru, to name a few. She has since honed her unique flair with online and self-taught techniques to become a sought after luxury cake maker and cake designer.
Due to the high demand for her cakes and a need to balance full time employment and a young family, Toyin decided to leave the banking industry to become a full time mum and focus on growing her luxury cake business.
In her own words, she describes her work best; "As a perfectionist with a passionate desire for creativity, I pour my best efforts into every creation and I expect each cake to tell a story that combines its artistic design with a mouth-watering taste to leave a lasting impression in the mind of the client". This she says is the most important aspect of delivering value as she continually strives to be the best at what she does. Toyin's love for cakes keeps growing and her ideas keep flowing even from the most unusual places.
Toyin was awarded the title of Best Wedding Cake Company by the UK wedding awards 2018