Nobody knew it but the quiet young man working in the little known Bumbleberry Dessert Cafe in Duncan Village, San Fernando, making desserts in the kitchen and serving tables was nurturing a big dream inside of him.
A graduate of the T&T Hospitality and Tourism Institute (TTHTI) with a diploma in Baking and Pastry Arts, Sharad Thompson had a burning passion to become one of the best high-end pastry chefs in T&T. If not the best. He worked at various establishments until two years ago, at age 23, with $3,000, his dream and faith, he took the bold step and launched Morsels, which he brands as T&T’s first fully online bakery.
Today, Thompson is owner of one of T&T’s most successful cake businesses which has a staff of seven, all family members. His wedding and other cakes are known for their bold, vibrant colours and simple, meaningful meticulous designs. “Instead of just throwing things ‘coskel’ on the cake, everything on it should be there for a reason,” he said.
People are so pleased with Thompson’s cakes that Morsels will have to acquire a second delivery vehicle soon. He said business is particularly good this “wedding season” because a lot of people have been getting married. He has orders for wedding cakes until November.
“I don’t think marriage is dead yet.”
During such times, Thompson sometimes spends the entire night decorating cakes and continues working straight into the next day with hardly a break. Those wishing to purchase his cakes place and pay for their orders online.
“Online shopping is the craze and will continue to be. Trinis love it,” he said.
Morsels delivers the cakes straight to offices or homes all over Trinidad. But getting here wasn’t an easy road. Thompson of La Romaine said he was never good in the academic subjects at St Madeleine Secondary which he attended.
“I did not graduate with full passes and had to repeat some subjects.” He said it is in the non-academic area of cake decoration he now shines and flourishes, and laments that T&T’s schools place little focus on the creative arts.
“This is not ruling out the academic subjects but students should also be taught how to make a success of their talents.”
Thompson, son of an engineer who is working in Saudi Arabia, said it was only when he enrolled at TTHTI that he felt completely at home. “My dad never wanted me to be in the culinary field. He felt this was a woman’s thing. But I had begun praying for a business of my own after I felt being an employee in the industry was not working for me. Running your own business is no piece of cake, however, Thompson said.
“It’s quite hard, actually. I have many sleepless nights staying up to get the work done for the next day. I didn’t sleep last night. I was decorating a cake in the shape of a Mac truck with an excavator.”
Thompson worked meticulously all night, doing most of the decorating himself and started working again at 6 am in his business.
“I started crumb coating cakes to be decorated the following day and made some macaroons.”
The only child for his parents, he said he always wanted to be a success to make them proud and this is what drives his discipline. “And you just have to get up and go. There’s no other option.”
Thompson has been asked to be a motivational speaker with Atlantic LNG in the company’s schools programme, Entrepreneurship Village 2016: Pioneer Your Passion.
“We are going into the classrooms to tell those who need to hear how to get into their own businesses.”