Kind Cakes
Lauran Bush is currently a solicitor planning to trade her career in law for one in hospitality. EP sat down with the avid baker to find out more about what inspired Lauran's change of direction and her plans for the future. “Could you make a ‘free-from everything’ birthday cake? Ralph’s birthday is in six weeks and I would love for him to be able to share a cake with his friends.”This question and the cake that resulted changed Lauran Bush’s life for good. While baking has always been a passion, Lauran had never taken on such a particular challenge in the kitchen. The cake would have to be sugar-free, gluten-free, wheat-free, nut-free, soya-free, egg-free and dairy-free to ensure that eating a bite would not trigger Ralph’s severe allergies and put him in the hospital. Despite still working full-time as a solicitor, Lauran found herself more and more engrossed in perfecting the cake to give Ralph. She knew her friend had trusted her with a meaningful request and Lauran was determined to succeed.“The look of utter gratitude on my friend’s face when I delivered the cake and her delight, and mine, as we watched Ralph share, then devour his cake for the first time changed me. It was this moment that I knew the kitchen would become my new office and my days in law would come to an end. I knew I wanted to dedicate my time to baking cakes to bring joy and amazing treats to people with allergies and intolerances... but also to those without”
Lauran has fallen in love with one of the best aspects of hospitality – the ability to make a difference in someone’s life through personal experiences. Food plays a central part in our lives and many of us in hospitality affect others through being part of a mealtime or a special event where a meal is a central component. For Lauran, some of her earliest and fondest memories stem from sharing time in the kitchen with her family. Her parents were also avid bakers and birthday cakes were their specialty. Lauran and her sister often looked forward to their special days, not particularly for the gifts associated with birthdays but for the cakes that their parents would plan. These were often elaborate surprises and included a cake shaped like a dinosaur with chocolate and sugar spikes running down, an overflowing treasure chest and even a wishing well - bucket and all included.These memories have stayed with Lauran and persisted through her baking. Last year after finishing the cake for Ralph, Lauran achieved the wonderful feeling of being able to make a positive difference. Kind Cakes, her cake-making endeavour, was born out of this experience.“The special thing about Kind Cakes is that they don’t discriminate. I focus on the needs of people with varying degrees of intolerance and allergy but that doesn’t mean that those are the sole people who can enjoy them. I’ve managed to make the cakes in such a way that even those without diet restrictions enjoy them because of their moist nature and the fact they are full of flavour - a bit of a "one delicious cake fits all" situation. Usually, the association that people have with treats is that they are unhealthy and may lead to feelings of guilt. The ingredients that come together for Kind Cakes makes them different because they are chosen for their nutritional value apart from taste.”Realistically, it hasn’t been as easy as quitting her job and focusing solely on Kind Cakes. Instead, Lauran has upheld her commitments as a solicitor and worked evenings and weekends to learn more about the hospitality industry. She is looking forward to leaving her job in the very near future and starting a career in the industry. It will be a significant change from her focus in litigation, however it is Lauran is ready to make.With a few events already lined up for the future, Lauran is an entrepreneur boldly setting out into the dessert catering arena. We predict she will be “one to watch”.For more information on all of the initiatives run by EP or to get (more) involved with the community, please contact
Nicole Thompson