My Story
How it began
It all began while I was at university in Japan — with a little procrastination.
Instead of studying for my exams, I found myself looking through beautiful cake books from overseas. I was fascinated by the work of British sugarcraft artists such as the late Eddie Spence MBE and Alan Dunn, and remember thinking that one day, somehow, I wanted to come to Britain and learn sugarcraft for myself.
This was before finding information was as simple as searching online, and I really had no idea where to begin. So I wrote a letter to Alan Dunn’s publisher.
That one letter helped set me on a path to Britain, where I began learning sugarcraft at Brooklands College, guided by its wonderful teachers.
A journey I never really planned
What followed was never a carefully mapped-out career.
One opportunity led to another. I gained professional experience at Great Fosters and Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, before later returning to Japan to work at Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo.
I am especially grateful to Lisa, Executive Pastry Chef during my time at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, and to the wonderful pastry team I worked alongside there. Their support, high standards and encouragement played an important part in my journey.
Eventually, I returned to Britain, began working independently, and Maki’s Cakes was born.
Over the years...
Over the years, my work took me in directions I could never have imagined as that university student hiding from her textbooks. I taught and demonstrated sugarcraft, judged competitions, and even had the opportunity to publish my own books.
And perhaps one of the loveliest turns in the story was finding myself working alongside the late Eddie Spence MBE and Alan Dunn — two of the very people whose work had first inspired me to come to Britain.
More than twenty years later...
More than twenty years later, Maki’s Cakes is still based in Surrey, creating cakes individually for weddings and celebrations.
I still love the same things that first caught my attention all those years ago — beautiful details, craftsmanship, and cakes that feel personal rather than mass-produced.
Every cake is made to order, and no two are ever quite the same.