Lockdown gave baker a chance to follow her dream
PEOPLE have reacted to lockdown in many different ways.
Some have gone DIY crazy, others have become Ordnance Survey experts from the amount of walks they have been on.
But for one baking enthusiast, the pandemic has made her leave her job of more than a decade and follow her dream of opening a cafe where she can sell her delicious bakes and cakes.
Taslima Ali, from Cardiff, has just opened her new shop, Pink Kiwi, after 12 years working for the civil service and raising her nine-year-old identical twins, Zakariya and Zaine.
For the moment, in lockdown, Taslima will be operating as a dessert bar, but once restrictions are lifted she’ll be serving breakfasts, brunches and coffees alongside her homemade cakes.
Taking up baking as a hobby when she was on maternity leave nine years ago, the 33-year-old explained why she had picked now to quit her job and go after her passion.
“Covid gave me a wake-up call and made me question myself, what I wanted from my life,” admitted Taslima, who was buzzing with excitement about her new venture on Crwys Road.
“And I wanted to pursue my passion
Covid gave me a wake-up call and made me question myself, what I wanted from my life
and have my own business.
“I’ve been baking for friends and family for the past 10 years. “When I was on maternity I was bored, so I started watching YouTube videos and it became my hobby.
“It was only when Covid happened that I thought I’d turn it into a business.”
It was working from home during the pandemic that made Taslima think the time was now to go for it and, with help and advice from Business Wales, she made it happen.
“Working from home made me realise, I questioned what did I want from life?” Taslima said.
“I’ve learned to love myself through lockdown and that, if I can survive lockdown with my kids I can
survive anything.
“I’ve always never been confident about myself and knocked back, but this past year has made me believe in myself.”
On the menu at Pink Kiwi – which was named because Taslima loved the sound of Indian restaurant Purple Poppadom’s colourful name – is the baker’s cupcakes, cheesecakes, chia puddings, milk cakes and overnight oats.
Once opened fully, Taslima will have a children’s menu, too, with input from Zakariya and Zaine.
And while it’s a case of once they’re gone, they’re gone when it comes to her cakes and bakes, it’s no mean feat for Taslima.
“I am super proud of myself, the fact that I’ve come this far,” she said.
“I feel overwhelmed, excited, nervous. My kids are super happy, they’ve been my motivation in life and everything I’ve done has been for them.”
Taslima Ali
POLICE investigating the death of a 16-year-old girl during a “major incident” have appealed for dashcam footage.
Officers from South Wales Police who have launched a murder probe into the death of schoolgirl Wenjing Xu from Ynyswen, near Treorchy, hope dashcam footage from drivers in the area at the time could help their investigations.
The incident happened in Baglan Street just after noon on Friday, March 5, and sparked a major emergency services response.
The 16-year-old died following the incident near the Blue Sky takeaway.
A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and a 38-year-old man has also been arrested in connection with the incident.
Both men yesterday remained in hospital, where their conditions were described as “stable”.
Specially trained officers are continuing to support Wenjing’s family, while floral tributes to her have been placed at the scene.
In a statement released last week, the teenager’s family said: “Wenjing had a very gentle soul, she was a very quiet person.
“Wenjing helped the whole family, working in the family takeaway.
“She enjoyed school and worked very hard. She was loved by her family.”
Officers are appealing to drivers who travelled along Baglan Street between 11.50am and 12.15pm on Friday to check any dashcam for footage which might have captured events between these times.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Lewis, said: “We have a dedicated team of officers who have been carrying extensive inquiries in the area and I would like to thank all those who have got in touch so far.
“We know that the incident occurred at a very busy time of the day when lots of cars will have driven passed the Blue Sky premises which is at the centre of our inquiries, and it is likely that a number of those people will have dashcam footage which may help us.”
He added: “This is an extremely difficult and traumatic time for Wenjing’s family.
“I am aware there is speculation and rumour online, so I would urge people to be respectful, and not fuel that situation.
“We are monitoring open source platforms and anybody who commits offences will be robustly dealt with.”
Witnesses or anybody with information can submit it using the Major Investigations Public Portal: https://mipp.police.uk/operation/62SWP21B30-PO1
Alternatively they can contact South Wales Police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting occurrence *077519.