Hi, I'm Suvar

I'm Suvar, or, as some people mistakenly call me, Sugar! WhatsApp doesn't recognise my name, so it autocorrects it to sugar instead. I don't mind: it's a pretty sweet name.

I grew up in Durban, in a household where food and baking were at the centre of our lives, so I was exposed to a multitude of different flavours. I was in the very privileged position of having mums, sisters, grandmothers and aunts who took pride in making sure I was well fed. That changed when I moved to Cape Town to study, and had to rely on my own culinary strengths to survive.

How did I do? Dismally! I mostly lived off takeaways and store-bought meals. Then, in my fourth year of university, I baked red velvet cupcakes for a friend's birthday: the first thing I had ever baked. The results were average, but my friends love me (I think), so they ate them and smiled.

I'm an actuary by profession, so I have quite a technical background, and I think that's what makes me so passionate about baking. The precision of taking a set of ingredients and turning it into something delicious never ceases to amaze me. Baking also lets me explore my creative side, in how I decorate and in creating new flavour combinations.

These days I share the bakes I grew up with, from festive Diwali sweetmeats to heritage favourites, alongside new twists on them, here and on Instagram. I'm by no means a trained chef and my creations aren't perfect, but they're ones I'm proud of. I hope you enjoy my adventures and find sweetness in all that we bake and create together x