Take these ingredients:
- A bowl full of professionalism
- A great deal of creativity
- A kilo of punctuality
- A cup of kindness
- A twist of originality
- And stir in gentle, caring and giving Lorna Dowling
And you have perfection.
Everyone who has had the pleasure of one of Lorna’s amazing cakes will agree. They are stunning and what is most remarkable is that she has done it herself. She had inspiration and guidance from her mother and her two friends when she was little. She didn’t go to catering college but she outshines many who did.
Her fifteen-hour day begins with baking between 4:30 and 5:00am then Lorna puts on her mum’s hat and gets her son ready for the school day. Back home she carries on baking and preparing her sugar work. All her sugar models, intricate, time-consuming and exquisite, are hand-crafted.
Most weeks, Lorna will create six cakes and during one week, which she never wants to repeat, she produced fourteen. She told me that she is perpetually tired but she loves what she does so it is worth it. Lorna continues her training because things are always changing. It is so important to be totally au fait with allergens and the care that is required to ensure that all her cakes are safe for clients to eat.
Lorna told me: “When I am not making cakes, I am thinking about cakes and their designs. It is in my DNA. I must check emails and prepare quotes, read messages and make phone calls. It is never-ending. I couldn’t cope with out the amazing support from my husband who makes all my toppers and edible pictures for the tops of cakes. He is absolutely my rock.”
Tom, Lorna’s husband confided, “I am so proud of my wife. She is an amazing person inside and out. Everyone raves about her cakes, and they are brilliant. She is dedicated to her craft and would never let anyone down. I see just how hard she works and we as a family think she is our star.”
Lorna is not the sort of person who would blow her own trumpet; far from it, she is very modest. Thank goodness for all her clients and her family who can create a symphony of praise because she deserves it. She is one special lady who is well-loved by everyone who meets her.
