A second generation Steveston business owner is demonstrating that pursuing your passion and not necessarily following a predetermined plan is the way to go when fashioning a career.
Amira Ladha, 27, opened the door to her waterfront bakery, called Sugar n Ice, near the corner of Third Avenue and Bayview Street last November and since then has been developing her reputation as a formally trained cake decorator with the plan to fill a niche she saw in the marketplace for intricately designed cakes that are part art, part scrumptious dessert.
But the road to the place she is now didn’t initially follow that path.
She had spent time at SFU doing undergraduate studies, majoring in communications and legal studies, and was planning to attend law school when she decided to shift gears.
“I was looking at jobs I could get with my degree and at the time it was really hard to find one,” she said.
She had taken up baking as a hobby and began making cakes for friends and family, and even ventured into online sales.
Then, in 2013 she decided to go to culinary school and made her way to the four-month cake design program at the International Culinary Institute in New York City.
That came as quite a surprise to Ladha’s father, Iqbal, long-time owner of Steveston Marine & Hardware.
“After four years of university she came to me and said she wanted to go to New York. I was speechless,” he said with a wry smile. “The first words out of my mouth were, ‘I paid for four years of schooling, now you want to go and make cakes?’ So, we fought for about six months and, finally, she won.”
Amira said she was happy that she spent time in university, which provided her with a good foundation as she traveled in a new direction to start up and run a small business.
“I am happy that I went to university first and learned skills there that you wouldn’t normally get a chance to learn if you went straight into the job force,” she said, adding her academic background has played a role in marketing her business. “Even the commitment from studying hard and putting in the time to get results has been helpful.”
Amira said the schooling in New York City was intensive, adding one of her instructors was acclaimed Food Network TV pastry chef Ron Ben Israel.
“He’s just what you see on TV,” she said.
“It was also nice to be in the centre of everything,” she said, adding New York was a revelation, exposing her to a variety of trends, styles and pointed to a dearth of cake shops in the Lower Mainland specializing in the type of work she was learning to perfect.
“Being out there (New York) really pushed me to do more when I came home to Vancouver,” said the Burnett secondary grad. “It made me see there was a market that wasn’t being served.”
Amira said the demand for decorative cakes in U.S. markets is much larger than in Canada as buyers are not shy for shelling out for a decorative showpiece – completely edible or not – for special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries and weddings.
“Down there (U.S.), it’s not uncommon to see five to 10-tier cakes, really elaborate ones. In Vancouver, that’s lacking,” she said.
That’s something she is planning to change, with some sage business advice from her father.
“I told her that everything takes time,” Iqbal said. “Nothing happens overnight. “First, you have to earn your reputation and build up your clientele. She is starting to do that.”
Amira said she learned from her parents the importance of networking with people in the community.
“It’s all about developing a relationship; the importance of becoming part of the fabric of Steveston,” she said.
But the historic fishing village wasn’t her first choice to put down business roots. Amira originally looked for a store location in Vancouver to be closer to a larger customer base, but it proved difficult to find a location that fit the bill.
“Growing up in Richmond and having my parents have their store here, it held a special place in my heart,” she said. “Then, this place came up. It has a waterfront view and is in a beautiful location. And since it was brand new, I could fix it up to my taste.
“Decorating cakes has always been my passion, so that part is not hard,” she added. “The retail part is something different for me and that’s what I am trying to push right now.
“And the biggest struggle is getting people to know I am here.”
To help promote the new business, Amira began serving high tea that provides a selection of savoury and sweet treats from the bakery that is also equipped to produce vegan and gluten-free cakes.
