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“Food has always been the centre of all our gatherings.“
For Capsicum Culinary Studio alumnus Shannon Moore, food is family and family is food.
Says the 24-year old who hails from Umhlanga Rocks: “I have a very big family and food has always been at the centre of all our gatherings. When the food is being prepared, we are all in the kitchen together helping, and when it’s a bring and share there is always more food than people. From a young age family has always meant food, so I have a great deal of love and appreciation for food and how it can bring peopletogether.”
It’s no surprise then that Moore found her calling in the culinary world.
“By the end of high school, I was first in my grade for consumer studies practicals and the head of the catering committee, where we made food for all school events. This is where my passion for cooking really began.”
Following graduation from Northlands Girls High School, Moore took a gap year to research her options of what and where she wanted to study before deciding to enrol at Capsicum’s Durban campus.
“I looked at a number of different culinary schools, but Capsicum was the only one that really felt like the perfect fit for me,” she says. “I wanted to study all areas of cooking so as not limit myself, and what caught my eye at Capsicum was the Sugarcraft Course, especially as cake decorating was something I was very interested in pursuing.
“Along with the courses, the highly qualified lecturers, the beautiful Umhlanga campus and the feeling of family, I felt that Capsicum really was the college for me, and I enrolled for a two-and-a-half-year course which consisted of a one-year diploma in food preparation and cooking, a one-year diploma in patisserie and a six month certificate in Sugarcraft.
Moore graduated in 2017 and was lucky enough to be given the Head Chef position at a restaurant in the Umhlanga Sands Hotel.
“The experience I gained while working there helped me achieve the confidence that I needed to step out on my own and perhaps start my own business, which was something I had been dreaming of for a while. And hey presto Mad Batter Cakes was born!
“Unfortunately, my business skills were lacking so I went to work for a home-based cake company called Foreverand Cakes, where I workedfor two years under an amazing mentor and friend Kerriden Clayton. She took me under her wing and taught me everything I needed to know about how to run my own bakery.
“I worked part time for Kerriden and kept running Mad Batter Cakes so I could build my client base, while still earning enough money to support my business. It was only in October 2019 that I decided to fully commit all my time and energy to Mad Batter Cakes, and since then I have been working hard at growing my business.
“Even through the COVID-19 pandemic I have managed to keep the bakery running and my profit growing and I am looking forward to the year ahead and what it might bring.”
Moore is clearly ambitious, passionate, committed and hard-working, so what advice would she give to someone thinking of entering the food or hospitality industry?
“My first piece of advice would be to make certain that it is what you really want to do. It is a very demanding career that will take you away from your family and friends, especially around the holidays and festive seasons. I have had to work hard to find a path for myself that allowsme to do what I love, but still give me the freedom to be with my family when I want to.
“My second piece of advice would be to always remember that you are just one part of a team, which could include kitchen staff, front of house staff like the managers and waiters as well as the cleaners and scullers. Respecting and treating everyone in your team as though they are all equal is extremely important.”
And what of Mad Batters Cakes?
“It’s my home-based bakery from where I make a wide range of custom-made products from cakes to cupcakes, cake pops, iced biscuits, brownies, macarons and much more.
“Something I often tell my clients is ‘If you can find a picture of a cake you like, I can make it!’. Even if it is a new technique or recipe I have never done before, I will research it and find a way to make someone’s cake dreams come true. Although I mostly do cakes and sweet treats I can also do savoury platters.
“I am the only employee of my business and fulfil all duties required from admin to baking, decorating, cleaning and deliveries.”
Over the next few years, Moore plans to move out of her parent’s home, renting her own place with a big kitchen and plenty of fridge space.
“I would also like to be able to hire at least one other person so I can take on more orders and hopefully start doing more weddings,” she says.
There’s no doubt that Moore’s career trajectory is on a steep upward curve and it would not be surprising if by 2025 there was at least one Mad Batter Cakes bakery in every major city across the country.
For more details or to place an order for one of Moore’s culinary creations, email madbattercakesdbn@gmail.com or call 0846932204.
To make Moore’s One Bowl Chocolate Brownies see recipe below.
Ingredients
12/3 cups sugar
3/4 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons water
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
11/3 cup cake flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Icing sugar for dusting
Method
Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 20cm x 30cm baking tray.
Sift cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl then add the sugar and mix well.
Beat the eggs into the milk and add to the dry ingredients and then add the water and mix until well combined.
Pour the mixture into your baking tray and smooth it out.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Once cool, dust with icing sugar and enjoy!