WITH GOODSIES - AN INTERVIEW

Uzma Saeed, founder and owner of Goodsies, a home run bakery of sorts, sat down with two of Nixor Media's writers to discuss her approach towards the business, further aspirations and what keeps her motivated. 

Q1. Goodsies. It's a name that's cute and warm. What's the inspiration behind its uniqueness?

A lot of people don't know this, but Goodsie is my nickname; a lot of people from my family call me Goods or Goodsie. I wanted to start a page, and I didn't want to use my name, because then it would've been Uzma's Cakes or something, and there are actually quite a few Uzma's who are in this business. I thought, why not Goodsies?

Q2. What kind of reception have you gotten? Do people like the name, or do you think people would prefer that you use your own name?

No, I think people prefer this. It's a brand name, and that's what I was after. I do have issues with people not pronouncing it right. A lot of people call it Goodies! But otherwise, I'm happy with it.

Q3. Cupcakes-  really a unique field to choose as a passion.  What was it that made you want to choose this career? 

I've been into baking all of my life. Since I was eight or nine I helped my mother; an expert baker, by the way. She conducts cooking classes, has written a cook book and goes on TV shows. So my mother is definitely my inspiration.

I've always been into baking rather than cooking. I still, to date, haven't made daal, biryani, qeema and things like that. I make Italian, Chinese, pizza - anything baked. I love baking. I used to make cakes for my children every year for their birthdays, and I used to get great feedback. Things like 'This is better than the best bakery cake we've had ever'.  So I thought 'Why not? I'll just start a Facebook page and see how it goes.'. So I did, and one order led to another. People liked it.

One thing a lot of people have said is that they order from many places, but what they like about my cakes is that they don't just look good, they taste good, too. For me, taste and looks go hand in hand. I mean, how long can you just look at a cake and admire it? You have to enjoy the taste also. It can look amazing, but if it tastes bad, people won't come back to me for another order.

Q4. So with things like sheet buttercookies with coloured icing and double chocolate caramel cupcakes that look like pieces of art, what is your typical approach to the cake making process?

Well, most of the time, people are very specific about what design they want on their cupcakes, so for those orders I make it exactly the way they want it.

Others just tell me it's an anniversary cake and then leave the rest to me. That's what I like.  It gets my creative juices flowing, and that I can have this and that. I might try and deliver on something special about that couple, or maybe try and copy them onto the cupcake.

I love creative freedom. My perfect order would be 'Make me an amazing cake. I'm leaving the design up to you. It's for a this-year-old's birthday'.

Q5. So they give you an empty canvas and leave the rest up to you?

Yeah, it’s like an empty canvas. I actually do love painting on cakes, and literally as well, because I have an art background. I studied at Parsons School of Design.  I studied graphic design. I’m a graphic designer. I worked before I got married, and for a little while after. But when I had my kids I thought that working full time just wouldn’t work out. I needed to be home.

My business actually suits me very well. I’m in my comfort zone. I’m working from home. If I have commitments, I can not take orders for that day.

Q6. So speaking of this comfort zone, we all know you are a wonderful mother and a phenomenal chef. So how do you manage to balance these very different aspects of your life? What’s the secret recipe for making it all come together?

Family comes first. Always. Which is why I’m not taking any orders in Ramadan. I’m heavily booked for Eid and afterwards as well, but not now. My kids are home, and they don’t want to see their mom dedicated to baking all day while they’re fasting. Family comes first and after that everything falls into place. My family is number one and then baking comes at number two.

Q7. So when you have so many flavors, do you feel likes some flavors get more preference than others? What do you think would be you most popular flavor?

Well, I’ve experimented a lot. When I started out I had the basic flavors like chocolate fudge, red velvet, vanilla. Some people said they wanted nuts, so I added caramel walnut and banana walnut, but it was a select few who wanted that. For the majority of people I would say the most popular flavor would be caramel chocolate and vanilla caramel. For people who don’t like it too chocolatey, it’s a vanilla base with a layer of caramel and cream cheese.

Red velvet really was a craze at one time. A lot of people were going for red velvet. One thing I really don’t like about red velvet is the artificial coloring. Although all my flavors, essences and chocolate are from abroad, artificial color and flavor isn't really such a great idea for a cake base.

Q8. What’s the strangest or most difficult order that you have made to date?

There was one order for a Lego Star Wars © themed cake. When I googled it and saw the picture, I was regretting why I took that order in the first place. It was one of the most mind-boggling designs that I’ve had to work with, because of all the lego pieces. In a cake you can’t go into too much detail, because if I had made an actual replica of that it would have taken me a week. There are time constraints that I have to work with. I can’t take 12 hours on one cake.

That said, I’m a detailed oriented person. I like to deliver. I like to give a properly detailed cake, with nothing rough or unfinished. I myself wouldn’t feel good about it.

Another issue is the weather in Karachi. It’s not good for fondant cake. I have to have the air conditioner on 24/7 while I’m working on the cake. If I don’t have it on, the cake starts to melt -- it starts to sweat, and starts to get a wet finish on the outside.

In the summer I dread making fondant cakes, especially if there are power outages. The other day I was working on a three tier cake. Everything was done, and I was waiting for it to set, and then the power went out. No AC. These things are really nerve-wracking for a baker. I have had to cancel orders because there was no power. I need electricity to run my machines. I can’t make the dough and everything else by hand. If there’s a long power outage, sorry, I can’t make your order.

Q9. In recent months, the food industry in Pakistan has boomed. Have you ever considered appearing on shows like Masterchef Pakistan and showcasing your talent to the rest of Pakistan?

I was asked once to come on a cooking show to demonstrate cake-decorating techniques, but coming on TV doesn’t fancy me. I’m a private person; I don’t want to be on television. I prefer it at home. Like I said, I’m in my comfort zone.

Q10. Where do you see yourself and your business 10 years from now?

I can’t really see myself ten years from now, but I do see myself expanding. I see myself hiring more people. Right now this is a one woman show. I do everything from baking to decorating and everything else, which is why I take very limited orders. The main complaint I constantly hear from my clients is that I’m always booked. They always have to order two or three weeks in advance. So yes, I need some hired help.

As far as an outlet is concerned, I don’t see that in the near future, quite frankly, because I like the personal touches on my cakes. I’m a perfectionist for the taste and the decor, and if I do this on a commercial basis I think somewhere along the line something will suffer.

Q11. So you think that going all out commercial would result in Goodsies losing what is special about it and its true essence?

Yes. I want to bake and decorate the cakes myself. For other things I can have hired help do, like help me with some aspects of decoration, but everything else I need to do myself.  I guess I’m a control freak that way, because I need to have control over quality.

Q12. For people who are starting their own businesses and trying to pursue their dreams, what advice would you give them?

No matter what you do, you have to give it your 101%. That is my advice for anyone who wants to make it in their career. You can’t be laid back and say ‘I’ll give it 50% and then things will fall into place.’. There are no shortcuts and no easy way to success. People who think that success comes easy are absolutely wrong. It is actually a lot sweat and hard work to achieve anything.

By: Adeel Pasha and Humza Hemani