In conversation with: Eat with Arli

By journalsofdami May 20, 2018August 5, 2020 1 Comment

Welcome back beautiful people, this is now the last instalment of In conversation with… (previously known as Meet the Creatives)!!!

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This week we have the fabulous, creative and

revolutionary

Eat with Arli. You may have seen her absolutely delicious cakes and other baked goods on Instagram and Twitter. I found out about Arli’s work on Twitter, someone had retweeted one of her mirror glaze cakes and I honestly didn’t think it was real. I just wanted to reach into my laptop and take it out of the screen…. I wish that was possible 🤣🤣🤣. What inspired me the most about her work is how she followed her lifelong dream and how she hopes to grow with it👏🏾👏🏾!

1. What inspired you to get into baking? I’d say my mum. She used to be a baker when we lived in Albania. Also I used to be (and still am) obsessed with cooking shows.

2. Is this now your full time job? Yeah it is, I decided to take the plunge and focus on my passion. It’s been a whirlwind!

3. Which baker(s) inspire you? I love Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten). She’s American and makes incredibly simple dishes look amazing!

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4. What’s your favourite thing to bake? I love making bagels. I know it’s not cake related but they’re so versatile and yummy! Bread in general is my favourite thing to bake.

5. Hardest thing to bake? Bread 100% for me. It can become incredibly complex and time consuming. Especially sourdough bread.

6. Where do you get your new ideas to bake? Oooh, from so many places, mainly looking at old designs and new ideas will pop up. Sometimes I just drift off and day dream and an idea will pop into mind. I also like to brain storm and throw around ideas until I’m set on one I like.

7.What made you not want to pursue your tax law degree? I loved studying law but once I actually got to work in a law firm I realised that it wasn’t for me. Studying it was so different to practising it and baking has always been my number one passion so it felt right to finally follow my dreams.

8. What motivates you to keep baking? The reaction to my cakes I’d definitely say. There’s something so magical watching something you’ve made bring joy to someone else. It’s such a fulfilling feeling! Also the fact that my boyfriend and family are so supportive spurs me to continue doing what I love.

9. Where would you like to see yourself in the next 5 years? God willing I’d love my own bakery in the next 5 years! That’s the ultimate goal for me.

10. If you could talk to your 10 year old self what would you say? I’d just tell her to keep experimenting in the kitchen and to keep doing what makes me happy.

10. Has it always been your dream to bake? I was baking from a young age so I always knew that’s where my passion was. Ever since I can remember .y mum used to get so fed up of me messing up the kitchen.

11. Did you go to a culinary school or are you self taught? Self taught, although I did want to go to culinary school when I was younger.

12. In your opinion, what’s the hardest thing about being a baker?/ any misconceptions? I think one misconception is how quick it is to bake and decorate a cake. One of the cakes I make takes 2 whole days to complete from start to finish.

13. Best thing about being a baker? For me, it’s being creative in the kitchen, I get a chance to express myself and personally I find it incredibly calming. The clean up afterwards is a pain though.

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14. Would you ever want to open a bakery? Definitely, I’d love to open loads of bakeries worldwide.

15. Most memorable baking experience? I’d say when I was younger. I was experimenting so I made egg whites, added sugar and decided to fry them in oil. My mum made me eat all of it. It was so awful.

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16. What advice would you give to any aspiring bakers? I’d just say be consistent, continue to push yourself, you can always do anything you set your mind to.

Contact

Instagram: Eatwitharli

Twitter: Eatwitharli

And that concludes the end of the Meet the creatives interview series! I want to say a HUMONGOUS THANK YOU to Oli, Parys and Arli for taking part in the interview. Also for providing unique and inspirational perspectives into your lives as creatives! I hope you guys enjoyed it I would love to know who your favourite creatives are, who inspires you? Let me know in the comments below. See you guys in the next blog post have a fab day!