MasterChef fan fave Reece Hignell has announced he will open a cake store early next year in honour of his beloved late Nan, who passed away in May.
The store, located in the Newcastle suburb of Hamilton, will be called Cakeboi, and will be an expansion of his online cake business of the same name which makes custom cakes for weddings, engagements, birthdays and other special events.
Hignell finished fifth in MasterChef Australia: Back to Win this year, and has spent the past three years looking for the right location for his dream bakery.
“There are a few bakeries that hero the traditional style of cake making, like Beatrix in Melbourne and Flour and Stone in Sydney and, for me, they are by far at the top of the game,” he told Food & Wine.
“I think we need to appreciate these older baking traditions before they are lost. A personal motivation for me is the Country Women’s Association.”
He started Cakeboi in 2019; inspired by a demand for personalised event cakes in Newcastle. Prior to starting the business her worked as a cook in restaurants around Newcastle, and was drawn to pastry and cake baking.Â
Hignell says on his website that his cooking inspiration comes from his nan.
“I cannot remember a time when Nan was not in the kitchen,” he says.
“She is the most incredible baker and I’ve admired her for this my whole life. Since rediscovering my passion for classic baking, I’ve had immense joy recreating her memorable cakes.”
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