TW: mentions of eating disorders

in 2020 I was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, baking saved my life.

I quickly developed an obsession with calories and control that left me in a critical condition, forcing me to leave school at 15. my mum kindly let me work with her @the_riverside_bakehouse and I grew a passion for baking. watching people enjoy the cakes and pastries that I had created quickly taught me the most valuable lesson of my life; food should never be reduced to just a number.

i have, unfortunately, seen a huge shift in media recently. it seems we have taken one step forward with body positivity and then taken 10 huge leaps backwards as there is more and more promotion of extreme thinness, starvation and over exercising all under the guise of “being healthy”. this time of the year can also be particularly difficult for those struggling with disordered eating as the harmful narrative of “new year, new me” = weight loss is pushed.

i want to give back to a charity that continuously helps and supports those struggling with eating disorders: BEAT. baking saved me and i would love to raise some money through my baking so it can hopefully help save someone else’s life. over the last weekend of January (31/01 and 01/02) we will be donating 15% of our takings to beat. i have also created this donation page if you are not able to make it that weekend or would like to give a little extra.

finally, i want to say thank you to you all. for supporting my little bakery, enjoying my bakes and most importantly showing me that you can’t live a full life on an empty stomach.

i hope to see you then,

Katya

❤️‍🩹🥐