When she’s not working at Uncle Bob’s Bakery, Brittney Turner is running her own cake-decorating business, Tia’s Treats. Still, she found time to prepare amazing delights that wowed the judges at the Toowoomba Royal Baking Show.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Brittney Turner, I’m 21 years old from South Brisbane. I am adventurous, outdoorsy, and love the beach.

How did you get started in baking? Was it always where you saw yourself ending up?

My mum was a large influence. Right from a very young age I’d always be in the kitchen with her baking cakes, as she’d always be making our birthday cakes as well as other sweet little treats. I always loved the creativity behind baking with flavour combos to decorating, and of course, the most important part, taste testing!

I did of course try other business ventures; however, nothing was coming to fruition. Baking was always a dream of mine, so it fell into place at the right time.

How long have you been at Uncle Bob’s Bakery?

I have been working at Uncle Bob’s for about three-and-a-half years. I finished my qualification (Cert III in Cake and Pastry) in July 2022.

You, as well as Uncle Bob’s, were very successful at the Toowoomba Royal Baking Show 2023. How did that feel?

This year, we decided as a team to enter the Toowoomba Show, with Brett, my boss, leading the charge. It has been some years since the last time we entered; however, this year was different, as more people were willing to get in and help. Brett also made the decision that for the Novelty Cake, I should enter under my own separate business name, Tia’s Treats. All the wins felt very rewarding for myself and Uncle Bob’s. This cake in particular took me out of my comfort zone, so the relief and realisation of winning was all the more satisfying.

What sort of preparation did you do in the lead up to the Show?

This was my first attempt at carving a cake, so to prepare myself for the task at hand, I did extensive research and watched tutorials. A lot of planning had to come into play as well, as this cake was done at home outside of work hours. There were many early mornings and late nights in the week leading up to the Show.

Who has been your biggest supporter or mentor along the way?

My family have always been my biggest supporters throughout my journey, as well as my partner. My boss, Brett, has been an excellent mentor, always pushing me and helping me to succeed.

Do you have any advice for anyone else looking to get into competing?

My advice for anyone out there looking to compete is to just dive right into it and do it. It’s all new experience, you can learn a lot about yourself and your work ethics. Don’t think too much, believe in your abilities and enjoy the process. Be as prepared as you can and have a plan in place. Keep pushing, even when you are past your breaking point—that’s where you truly grow.

Can you tell us a little bit about your cake decorating business?

I first started my cake business, Tia’s Treats, in 2018 before my apprenticeship. I’ve had an entrepreneurial mindset from an early age and always wanted something to call my own. For me, baking for people is more than just providing a service, it’s creating joy to share with other people, it’s creating memories. It is very rewarding to see the end result, start to finish. I like to make my products not only look amazing, but taste even better.

What is your favourite thing to make?

I would have to say my favourite thing to bake would be brownies. They’re very universal, as you can create them however you like—different flavours, densities, shapes, etc. Brownies bring me back to a certain memory in my childhood years. My mum would always take me to a café after school, and I would always get a brownie and a hot chocolate, and that was our weekly tradition. To top it off, they’re sweet, fudgy, and delicious.

Where do you see yourself heading in the future?

My goal for the foreseeable future is to open up my own cake shop. In order to do so, my plan is to gain as much experience and knowledge as possible, see how other businesses operate and learn different techniques. You will non-stop be learning something new every day.