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A new retro-inspired vegan baking website offers its audience a wealth of free vegan baking resources, video recipes and the opportunity to join a global online community that is supporting fellow vegan baking businesses and the nifty home baker, in a fun, non-judgemental space.
Sara Kidd – the former Head of Acquisitions and Marketing at film distribution company Indievillage in Sydney, Australia, which released the controversial documentary Kangaroo: A Love Hate Story – launched her eponymous website as part of her plans to pursue a career in vegan baking.
Fun, positive space
Kidd said: “It can be confronting trying to veganize old baking favourites, or not knowing where to start. I wanted to create a fun, positive space with easy tips, tricks and support for the baking community to grow and thrive together.”
Kidd, who has created animated video recipes as well as comprehensive lists of products and ingredients that are vegan-friendly for the home and business baker, said: “My goal is to make vegan baking as easy and accessible as possible for both mainstream chefs and anyone who enjoys baking, so they don’t have to spend ages figuring out which products or ingredients they can use. I’ve done it all for them.”
Community
Her online Facebook community Vegan Cake Decorating, All Types of Baking & Resources is becoming one of the largest and most active vegan baking groups online.
With new members daily, including the likes of renowned vegan pastry chef Fran Costigan andModern Vegan Baking author Gretchen Price, vegan bakers are coming together to share the experiences, gain knowledge, hear the latest baking news, offer support and access free baking resources.
“I love this group,” says Kidd. “I’m working towards offering members special product discounts, creating event opportunities and showcasing interviews with advanced vegan bakers to share their knowledge and insight. Together we can create kindness in kitchens all over the world.”
An unexpected career
Kidd, who hails from a small town in Australia’s outback, originally studied to be a chef, but instead found herself working the film industry.
At Indievillage, she was responsible for taking on animal rights and environmental documentaries, including the critically acclaimed Kangaroo, which the New York Timesdescribed as ‘determined to sound a wake-up siren’.
In 2017, Kidd ran a vegan baking business in Sydney as a side hustle, which quickly built up high demand and praise for her unique, dazzling cakes, especially from non-vegans. Now she’s going all-in with her love of baking, having left her job at Indievillage, and shares her time between Sydney, Australia, and Auckland, New Zealand.
She has completed courses with some of the best mainstream cake designers including Don’t Tell Charles – Thao Pham, Hey There Cupcake – Stevi Auble, Katherine Sabbath, Kara’s Cake Coutures, Sugar Art by Zoe Byrnes and the Australian Patisserie Academy in Sydney. She continues to study and develop her craft, aiming to become a key influencer in the vegan baking world.
Kidd also plans to release a series of vegan baking books in early 2019.
