All about Camilla
Published :
05/06/2023 08:25:33
Categories :
Latest News
Today we are chatting to Camilla, a long time Hiho friend who is a self-taught baker and creator of wonderful treats at Camilla’s Kitchen.
Her wonderfully creative hand-iced biscuits are an absolute treat, really delicious and a firm favourite with her customers.
A keen equestrian, who loves in-hand showing native ponies, Camilla’s 30th birthday present to herself last year was Little Lass, her first in-hand showing pony of her very own.
We also happen to know that she’s partial to a little Hiho self-treat as a reward for totally losing November and December in an absolute blur of baking cookies for Father Christmas to deliver!
Find out more about what makes Camilla tick below…
At my heart I am a country girl, having grown up around horses all my life and having the slightly unusual teenage hobby of breeding and showing poultry! I love to escape to Somerset where my parents have lived for the past few years and help them with the sheep and every growing flock of poultry!
I am actually a full time primary school teacher, and love to see the children grow and develop their own interests; I have been known to bake and ice biscuits with them which has been great fun!
Camilla’s Kitchen has evolved over time from a small student kitchen to where I am today, still my kitchen just slightly bigger! It has grown naturally over time, and I’ve been inspired from things around me, primarily my background in the countryside and wanting things to be as lifelike as possible; for example not just having a dog cutter but being able to create particular dog breeds from which people are able to choose.
It began when I was asked by a friend to make a gingerbread house one Christmas and I then found my niche, focussing on biscuits over cakes and began to build my collections. I am completely self taught and have learnt ‘on the job’. You don’t get taught at school about running a small business and there have been challenges along the way but I love being able to create new biscuits, making them as lifelike as I can to the real thing. I often joke that I can ice a biscuit better than I can draw, but there is a lot of truth in it.
During the Pandemic, I was lucky enough to work with the fabulous Katie Roberts who created my website. It has made things so much easier for me and the customer as it is possible to order any collection as well as choose the date you would like them posted, so you can be super organised in advance! My website can be found at camillas.kitchen. I bake to order, so they normally take 2/3 days to make but they are worth the wait.
Has there been a particular biscuit design/collection, that has been your favourite and why? Do you just do your own designs or can people request something bespoke to them?
The first design that immediately comes to mind are the racing silks. My sister, Steph has a lot to answer for with a lot of things to do with Camilla’s Kitchen and she sent me the link to a racing silk cutter, which I thought at £7, was a lot of money. Fast forward 5 years and that cutter has taken my biscuits all over the world and to people I could only imagine. I have loved making many famous colours which have been found on National Hunt and Flat racing courses up and down the country. It is a cutter which has grown my business in a way I could only have dreamt of and I now have two versions, after I had a slightly smaller one made after having received feedback that the original sized biscuit was ‘big enough for two people!’
I can definitely do bespoke ranges, many of the biscuits I make are handcut and I am more than happy to take on a challenge, the only limit is your imagination. I have done everything from Shepherds Huts to a glass of Pimms and everything in between so feel free to contact me with your ideas.
What do you do in your spare time & what you get up to offline?
Well, theoretically Camilla’s Kitchen is my spare time…! But when I’m not in the kitchen I can normally be found travelling round the country with my sister, showing her Exmoor and Fell ponies in-hand and grooming for her in ridden classes. I also run, more of a plod, but it is the best way to clear my head after a busy day.
What is your ultimate Hiho love (favourite piece from the Hiho collection) and why?
Can I have 2?! My first one is the first piece of Hiho I ever bought, a violin brooch which I saved up for. I still have the letters I was sent asking how the saving up was going! I don’t wear it very often but I used to spend a lot of time playing violin and it always reminds me of that.
My second is the Silver Foxy Roller Bangle. A few years ago, I started treating myself to a piece of Hiho each Christmas when all my order were sent; this is the latest addition. I love the texture on the beads and it is perfect to stack with other Hiho bracelets.
And finally - what is the best piece of business advice you have received?
I think the best piece of advice I’ve received is to do one thing every day that scares you. Camilla’s Kitchen has evolved into what it is today from absolutely nothing, and I still have doubts; there are still things which go wrong and I learn from, but I’m not afraid to share the journey and be challenged. Stephanie, my sister, is my biggest cheerleader, she has been the person who has pushed me to try new things, have my first trade stand and is always sending me new ideas. Without her, I would have stayed in my comfortable bubble and Camilla’s Kitchen would never be where it is today.
You can find Camilla @camillas_kitchen
www.camillas.kitchen
