Salaam friends!
Welcome to the 9th issue of The Creative Muslimah.
Firstly, I have a little announcement. I designed this t-shirt to fundraise for our brothers and sisters in Palestine who so desperately need our help. All profits will go to UNRWA. I launched them last night and I woke up this morning to almost 100 t-shirt orders already!
The t-shirt is 100% cotton with a unique design featuring olives, oranges and watermelon. Kids and adult sizes are available.
Click here to purchase!
Keep praying, donating and raising awareness.
This week we will be featuring a baker based right here in Dubai. As soon as I spotted her business page on Instagram, I just knew I had to follow. They were genuinely some of the most beautiful cakes I had ever seen. I’m excited for you all to see them too. Here’s a little peek at one of her masterpieces:
And just in case you missed it, here’s the previous newsletter so you can catch up. I broke down exactly how I made my first few sales on Etsy and how I eventually hit 2000 sales (and counting!)
Check it out:
Now it’s time to introduce our guest!
Our special guest today is…
Toslimah Choudhury AKA Patosherie! Patosherie, founded by Toslimah, is a boutique concept that designs bespoke desserts for client events. Toslimah is married with two children and was born and raised in UK. She moved to Dubai 15 years ago. She graduated from SOAS, University of London, with a BA in Arabic and Islamic Studies.
If you would like to support her business and check out her stunning bespoke cakes and desserts, click here to visit her Instagram page or drop her an email for any enquiries: Patosherie@outlook.com
Here’s her story:
Your cakes are a true work of art! How did you learn how to bake and decorate such beautiful cakes?
I have always had a huge passion for creative arts in my free time, even taking a short course at the London School of Fashion. I was able to channel my artistic flair through a love of baking and spent a good deal of time experimenting in the kitchen.
Can you give us a run down of a typical working day and what it involves?
A typical working day begins with prepping my kids for school. After drop offs, I head straight to the studio to check emails and reply to messages from clients.
Baking and design work begins all the way up until school pick up.
I only restart work after the kids are in bed, typically around 8pm. Depending on the size of orders this period of the evening can last until the early hours of the following day.
What is something you wish more people understood about running a baking business? Are there any misconceptions you would like to clear up?
I think people are not aware of the sheer amount of work that goes into creating even the smallest cake. It's not just baking - there is design consultations and then the actual execution of the cake, which involves filling, coating, multiple smoothing rounds (got to have those sharp edges). Figurines, decor, sugar flowers even fresh flowers take time to prep. One figurine can take up to 2 to 3 hours to perfect.
Do you design all your gorgeous cakes yourself? If so, where do you get inspiration from?
Yes I do and this is what my clients prefer. The majority want a cake that is customised for them. I tend to take inspiration from my surroundings and the literature I like to peruse in my spare time (interior design, travel magazines, fashion industry).
How do you market your business to reach your customers/clients? What advice would you give to someone struggling to secure clients?
Social media has been instrumental in spreading our brand. A good deal of my leads have come through previous, repeat, clients. I truly value my customers and many have become friends and continue to support our work. A natural trust develops when you are chosen to create something for intimate family events. For me it is not just a cake - I know that this is a very important part of the celebration and I put myself in my clients shoes when designing desserts for them.
What is your system for deciding what fee to charge? How would one ensure that their baking business is profitable and worthwhile financially?
When it comes to pricing, I would advise that you look at your material costs, labour intensity and level of complexity when pricing your creations.
How do you balance motherhood with running a business?
I love my profession but I also love being a full time mum. My kids come first and I am fortunate enough to be able to base my working hours around them. I am fully aware that this is not possible for everyone and am very grateful for the nature of the work.
I do a lot of my catching up in the evenings in order to stay on top of things, which does tend to eat into my social life but it is worth the sacrifice.
It's Maryam again! A huge thank you to the lovely Toslimah for taking the time to contribute to the newsletter. I hope you found it beneficial and I look forward to sending you the next one insha’Allah.
Love and duas,
Maryam
Absolutely stunning pieces. Toslimah is a work of art herself, inside and out and that reflects in what she creates. Not only do her cakes look so clean and elegant but they taste amazing as well.