"He asked if I would like to join his pastry kitchen at Raffles Hotel. Although I didn’t have paper qualifications, that didn’t bother him. He was interested in what’s in my head. He is very demanding to work with."
Baking the basics
"My mom would give me $3 to prepare a menu for the week."
"I love her Teochew cuisine — comfort food like porridge with salted vegetables, salted egg and ginger with pork."
Cherish Finden’s fascination with pastry
“I found the pastry kitchen fascinating. I’m not a very creative person, but I associate pastry with art. So, I enrolled for different courses — on sculpturing and creative designing, among others. And I incorporated art into pastry."
"It was one of my biggest challenges, but I like to break the rules."
"I always want to be the first to create a product. But to create something as part of a new collection, you have to think ahead. You must have a story to back up whatever you create."
Going Gaga
"She saw my name somewhere and when she came down to the lobby she whispered to me: 'Thank you very much for all the effort you put into my room.' She held my hand and we walked to the hotel entrance, in front of all the media. I became famous because of that."
- "That’s very important. Create your own opportunity, grab it and don’t let go."
- "And be humble. No matter how high you climb, listen and be kind."
- "And do not give up."
