Culinary expert, Kgomotso Khumalo, has become a household name as she creates mouth-watering designer cakes and tantalizing cuisine. This savvy businesswoman shared a cuppa tea and a slice of cake with the Newcastle Express as she chatted about her life.
Newcastle Express (NE): In a nutshell, who is Kgomotso? Kgomotso Khumalo (KK): She is a hard-working lady who is trying her best to achieve her dreams one day at a time. I am inspired so much and I do not want to be known for only doing one thing but for doing my best in every aspect of life.
NE: Where did you grow up? Tell us about your family.
KK: I grew up in Johannesburg with my mother and older sister. My passion for cooking comes from my mother. She worked at an eating establishment and they hosted a lot of events so she would come home and cook a feast or we would be in the kitchen of her workplace nibbling on food. They hosted a lot of VIPs so one can imagine the variety of dishes served. We never ran out of food because my mother would turn anything into a gourmet dish and that is what I learned from her. My sister and I would always come up with new ways of cooking daily meals.
NE: You are well-known for your artistic custom-made cakes. How did your love for baking begin?
KK: Funny thing is that at one point in my life I didn’t want to bake. I would always pass on my orders to other people. Until one day I baked a cake and received such huge interest on social media and thought to myself ‘people think that this is beautiful’. From that day onwards I began baking. My creativity on cakes comes as I do the cakes and that is why I tell my clients that I do not copy cakes. Each cake is a challenge and creates a story of its own.
NE: What has been your most challenging cake to bake?
KK: It was a cake that I tried to recreate. The colours were not blending like the one that I had previously done. I tried decorating the cake three times, removing and re-applying the buttercream and colouring. During the final attempt I ended up accepting that this cake had a personality of its own.
NE: Is there any specific secret to baking the perfect cake?
KK: The perfect cake is the one which the client is happy with.
NE: Have you ever dealt with a difficult client?
KK: Oh yes. The best way to deal with the situation is to listen, explain and ask how best they would appreciate the problem to be rectified.
NE: In addition to baking, you also cater for cooking classes. Tell us more.
KK: The cooking classes are structured and based on individual needs and skills. Teaching the basics like curries, roasts, and salads. I also have children’s cooking classes for the school holidays where I teach them how to prepare simple, delicious meals.
NE: What is your favourite meal to prepare?
KK: Anything ‘seafoody’… If that is even a word.
NE: Being a cook and baker, does your family expect extravagant meals everyday?
KK: YES! My family is very picky about what they eat. My husband can go all day without eating until he gets home.
NE: What inspires you to get up each morning and be the best at what you do?
KK: Being better than my previous work
NE: Being a career superwoman, do other females in the industry support you?
KK: This question makes me happy to answer as 99.9% of my clients are women and they are very supportive of me and my business. I am truly grateful for all of them.
NE: What do you do when you are not cooking up a storm?
KK: Running errands or busy with quotes
NE: What advice do you have to offer to those wanting to follow a similar career path?
KK: Start now, start small, be very positive, learn from your mistakes, be true to yourself, research ways to improve your skills and invest in your business. Be kind.
NE: Cheeseburger and coke or sushi and wine?
KK: Sushi and sparkling wine
NE: Tell us something about yourself that nobody knows.
KK: I tend to over-think a lot.
