A Cwmbran woman who turned to baking to relax after her “world was turned upside down” has started a free online group to support others through mindful baking.
Lauren Prosser went into a “heavy, anxious headspace” after her son Luca, ten, was diagnosed with Alport syndrome– a rare genetic disorder that affects the kidneys, hearing and sight.
She said: “I couldn’t cope with it. It’s something that’s not going to happen to you, and then I was in it. That’s where it started. I saw someone making a cake on TikTok.
‘Peace in baking’
“My first cake was shocking. I found some sort of peace in baking and the process and it just developed from there.”
Her confidence and skills grew to the point where she opened a business- The Sugar Rush Cake Company- and makes cakes for individual customers and local businesses in and around Cwmbran.
But now she wants to help others through a new private Facebook group- Sugar Rush: Mindful Bakes & Chats.
Lauren said: “As soon as I started it, a couple of members came, and it was amazing. They were sharing bakes that their children made. It was so lovely. I didn’t expect that, for them to be so forthcoming.
Mindful section
“It can provide some sort of calm. It did for me. People in the group have been sharing things they’ve been doing. I upload recipes- like a bread doughnut, focusing on the kneading and adding the recipe page with a mindful section so they can t write down what they were feeling before and after. I’m so pleased how it’s come so far.
“It’s amazing to see people interacting with it. I didn’t expect to see it.”
She said: “No fancy equipment or expensive ingredients are allowed. It’s purely about getting off our phones, getting out of our heads, and supporting each other.”
Lauren said Luca has coped well since his diagnosis, adding: “He’s amazing, so resilient. I was walking around like a zombie and he was wearing it like a badge.
“His doctors at Noah’s Ark [the children’s hospital in Cardiff] are fantastic. I can’t speak highly enough about them.”
Third birthday
Her business is about to celebrate its third birthday.
She recalls when she started it: “I thought I’m going to give it a go. I registered it with the council, all the legal side of things. It’s grown. It’s a lot of hard work. Its briliant.
“It’s opened up so many opportunities. The people I’ve met along the way have been amazing. I consider them friends rather than customers. It sounds cheesy, but it’s true. It’s opened up so many things. I can’t believe my luck.”
Luca is supportive of his mum’s business. In one of the photos, he’s holding up the Mother’s Day chocolate bar wrappers that he designed for his own ‘Sugar Rush Junior’ launch.
His proud mum said: “He actually ended up selling 58 bars in total and absolutely smashed it. After this, he even had pre-orders for Easter. He saved his pocket money to buy stock and supplies and even had a little business plan. It really highlights how much the community has backed him, and I’d love for people to see his proud smile.”