Baker dons apron after 10 years of teaching others
Michael Johnson was disqualified from his first cake competition at 8 years old, for being too good.
“The judges thought my mum had made it. My mum was quite clever and said it was a compliment.”
The memory of the disqualified chocolate cake, with half an eggshell on top to represent Humpty Dumpty, now makes him chuckle because, despite that early setback, Johnson has made a career out of baking.
The Naturally Delicious bakery owner has been mixing cake batter since he was able to lick the spoon in his mum’s kitchen in the UK where he grew up.
Johnson said he wasn’t very good at school, but his skills kicked in when he was working with flour and a few other ingredients. “My mum used to say I had my ‘brains in my fingers’. I wasn’t academic but I could bake.”
Embracing his talent, Johnson bought his first bakery in the UK at 22, and by the time he moved his family to Christchurch, he was able to sell the business, along with the other four satellite sites associated with it.
In New Zealand, Johnson and his wife, Carol, owned a number of bakeries in North Canterbury until Johnson hung up his apron and wooden spoon.
For ten years he tutored Foodstuffs apprentices in the North and South Islands but he said being in his mid 50s, he felt it was “time for a change” and started his own business again at 55.
Naturally Delicious opened in June with a focus on affordably priced cakes, gateaux and cheesecakes because he said “every child should have a birthday cake”, as well as pies, sandwiches, slices and naturally fermented breads.
Age has made him shift his business model to being more community centric, giving back to the community where possible, including helping the local church supply breakfast and lunch twice a week.
He said the business logo consists of bread, cakes and smiles, “and our smiles are the most important part”.
– Naturally Delicious is situated in Fendalton Village, 3/376 Ilam Rd.