Meet Robyn Groenewald | Cake Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Robyn Groenewald and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Robyn, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My business progression has been very organic. Moving from South Africa with two small children meant that my focus was on them and getting them settled in a new country. I had been working full time in South Africa as a market researcher, but I found balancing being a mom and working full time challenging. I had already started to contemplate a new career, the move to the USA encouraged that. While enjoying the time at home with my kids I found myself imagining and daydreaming about running my own business, I just didn’t know what that would be. Very quickly baking seemed to be the easy answer as I was good at it, however I resisted this idea for quite a while, I was worried that if I pursued baking as a business it would lose its magic and the pleasure I enjoyed in doing it. My oldest daughter would not hear it and hounded me to start a business, she has her own dream to one day join me as a baker in the business. Before officially starting my business I decided I needed some insight into running my own food based business so I enrolled with Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts with the main aim of utilizing their business program to learn how to cost my products and run a food based business. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire course and learnt a lot throughout the entire process. It really helped give me confidence to start my business.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
It was when my daughter had her first birthday and I baked the cake, which I was determined to do as I had vivid memories of the cakes my mom had made me as a child, that was when my love of baking and now cake decorating was ignited. Each year the cakes became a little more challenging and I honed my skills a little more. Then my second daughter was born and now I had two babies to bake for. It’s been over ten years and I am still learning new skills all the time. I didn’t start thinking of myself as an artist until very recently. I started making the cupcake bouquets almost two years ago and when I started making those and doing more flowers on cakes, that’s when people started referring to me as an artist.

I offer speciality cakes including vegan and gluten-free options, I’ve done a lot of research and work to make sure all of those offerings are as good if not better than the regular cakes I offer. My goal and something I am actively working on is to turn my whole menu vegan. I am very passionate about climate change and I feel like that is one way I can contribute toward change.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We always love taking visitors to Ponce City Market. We also go to the Martin Luther King memorial and museum and the Center for Civill and Human Rights. We recently visited Slutty Vegan and loved it, my husband then bought me Pinky Cole’s book Eat Plants B*tch which I thoroughly enjoy.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Gosh this list is long. My family first and foremost, I’ve already mentioned my daughter but my whole family are supportive my husband is my greatest cheerleader and a lot of my skill was learnt as a small child watching my mom decorate cakes. I then also have a great group of friends who have supported me in so many ways, the ones who encouraged me by asking me to bake for their kids birthday’s, the neighbors who have been my taste testers on so many occasions and then my growing group of customers and followers, who always have kind words. Also my friend Robyn Goldstein who volunteered her time this summer to help me at the market and asked for nothing in return, I haven’t forgotten and plan to return the kindness.

Website: https://bohemianrobsidy.godaddysites.com/products

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bohemianrobsidy_cakes/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bohemian.Robsidy/

Image Credits
(The image with my girls is by) Ashley McBroom Photography