Baking teacher Aysha uses ‘flour power’ to change women’s lives
Let’s call it ‘flour power’. As a baking teacher at Luminary Bakery, a social enterprise and charity supported by National Lottery funding, Aysha Monica is changing disadvantaged women’s lives one delicious pastry at a time.
Aysha said, “You can learn so much through baking. It’s not just about making delicious cakes, although that’s definitely a perk. Our trainees learn transferable skills like time management, working as part of a team and managing setbacks. Bakes sometimes go wrong, but it’s all part of the learning process.
Luminary Bakery was founded in 2014 by Alice Williams MBE. Her aim is to help women who have experienced social and economic disadvantage using baking as a tool to “take them on a journey to employability and entrepreneurship.”
Today, Luminary Bakery has sites in the London boroughs of Camden and Stoke Newington, where the charity runs its two-year training program. The social enterprise operates the bakery and café, providing work experience, paid apprenticeships, and employment opportunities to trainees and graduates.
Luminary Bakery has been supported by funding made possible by National Lottery players. Since the first draw was held in 1994, an incredible £50Billion for good causes has been raised and hundreds of projects are supported in each postcode of the UK.
After starting at Luminary Bakery in 2019 as a student, Aysha fell in love with the art of making bread, cakes and pastries. She joined the team as a Teaching Assistant and stepped up to the role of baking teacher in 2024.
She now spends two days a week leading classes of seven women at a time. Aysha added, “I work with up to 56 women a year who are all referred to us from crisis organisations and charities. We start with simple recipes but soon progress to more technical bakes such as choux pastry. It’s wonderful seeing how they progress and their confidence builds over the six months of a course.
“Last term we had several students who had never baked before. During their first few weeks with us you could see how apprehensive they were. But as they continued you saw such a change in their confidence, both in themselves and in what they could create.
“We talk a lot about the importance of a supportive community at Luminary and many of our women refer to this as the ‘sisterhood’. We know we need each other to succeed and lift each other up.”
Aysha’s favourite part of the day is sitting down at the end of a session and hearing her trainees talk about something they’re proud of. She added, “Being able to create something that you have put so much hard work into is a real achievement. And hearing each trainee share their experience with the group is one of the best things about baking!”
The hit TV show The Great British Bake Off has redefined baking in many people’s eyes and its success hasn’t gone unnoticed at Luminary Bakery. Aysha said, “It’s helped a lot of people discover or rediscover a love of baking. The design of our training room was modeled on The Great British Bake Off tent, so we are all big fans here!”
Love a hot cross bun? Watch the star bakers at Luminary Bakery turn dough into whoa!
7th April 2025
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