Today we’d like to introduce you to Marina Chavez-Ayon.
Hi Marina, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Born and raised in San Diego. I’ve lived as far out as Mira Mesa to Alpine. I am a self-taught baker. I started baking around 10 years old by making shaped caked for special occasions like birthdays. I kept learning my skill and now decided to become my own small business to give back to a city I love being from. I plan to enroll in the Grossmont College baking program in Fall 2024. My specialty is cake pops! Follow my business Instagram page for pop-up details. Thank you for the support!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Of course not, no road ever worth riding this long can be completely smooth. This is so embarrassing to admit, but I dropped out of baking school TWICE! The reasons aren’t important they were hurdles in the road that I had to learn to overcome.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I bake yummy desserts and baked goods. My specialty is cake pops, you know, like the ones from Starbucks but mine taste better and are cheaper. I am most proud of learning how to make concha’s from scratch. I always wanted to learn to how make authentic pan dulce and I did, I watched some videos, followed a recipe from a good cookbook I have on Mexican cuisine. The results were amazing to experience.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc.?
I used YouTube to watch tutorials. I used Instagram and Pinterest for creative inspiration. I use Reddit to communicate to others about baking questions I have.
Image Credits
Marina Nicole Chavez-Ayon
