Born and raised in the compound of the Queenstown Masjid, Sumayyah Hydaralie of A&Z Cakes is charting her own path. With eye-catching bursts of colour and exquisitely detailed scenes, the “unbelievably delicious” cakes created by Hydaralie are commanding attention.
“My two kids they give me the motivation I need, and always compliment me on what great job I did. Every male cake I do my son wants it for his birthday,” she laughs.
Her artistry is evident in the colours chosen and the wide range of techniques
Samayyah Hydaralie
employed to create for her clients their own unique masterpiece which continue to wow all that seen her cakes. But that is not surprising as the petite single mom is obsessed with icing cakes, explaining that it is the one thing she would do if she could only have one hobby for the rest of her life.
Hydaralie took up cake decorating as a business in November 2012, through a combination of factors: her enduring love for the art and the high price called by one cake decorator.
“As a child I always loved to be creative and do cakes; after marriage, I stopped working and with my free time, I did the elementary cake course at Carnegie School (of Home Economics). Then I take a break from it. However, after my kids were born, one year I called a cake decorator to order a cake for my daughter’s birthday. When I heard the price, I decided to do the cake myself; after finishing the cake, I decided I should start my own cake business and take orders. I then had my husband create my cake page on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnZCakes/,” she related.
The friendly but quiet 28-year-old Diamond, East Bank Demerara resident, whose shy smile often lights her face, clearly has a steely core of determination,
Sumayyah Hydaralie’s 2016 masterpiece Ariel cake with a live goldfish
systematically growing her home-based business through her facebook page and word of mouth while raising her son and daughter after an unpleasant ending of her marital life. With a clear vision of how her business should be growing, she has even embarked on a business training programme to propel her to the next level.
“I must say it’s hard to do all at once, but as a single mom and wanting the best for my kids, I try my best and make it work,” Hydaralie explained when asked how she tackled her multiple roles. “I have learnt you can do anything you set your mind to do: Just be positive in what you do and love what you do.” She wants persons who are thinking of opening their own businesses “to go for it”. “If you fail, do not give up, continue,” she encouraged. Hydaralie added that the definition of success was knowing what you wanted and working towards it.
“Entrepreneurs need to market their product – make the consumer aware of your brand and product,” the cake decorator extraordinaire stressed.
Contact: 216-3190, 629-0168; www.facebook.com/AnZCakes
