In Conversation with Tina Parashar: The Incredible Indian Welcome Collaboration

A great restaurant website

In Conversation with Tina Parashar: The Incredible Indian Welcome Collaboration

Tina-Scott-The-Incredible-India-Collaboration

by Akhileshwari Anand Raj

 

Tina Scott Parashar is a multi-award winning cake artist who has been recognized by her peers at the national and international levels. She has been named as one of the Top 10 Cake Artists in India for 2017 and 2018 by Cake Masters Magazine, UK. She has won multiple Gold awards in Cake International, UK. She has been pivotal in bringing the Indian Baking Industry to the forefront by serving as an ambassador to various organizations around the world.

Tina is the International Projects Manager for Global Sugar Artists Network (GSARN) and the Official GSARN Judge for their projects/contests held worldwide. She is the first Indian to be appointed brand ambassador for several international brands including Saracino, Cerart and Magic colours.

She has hosted the Incredible India Cake Collaboration initiative in 2017 and 2018 where she has been successful in representing India's ethos through baking. She is from India and currently lives in Dubai, UAE.

She recently did The Incredible Indian Welcome Display in Cake International 2019 in collaboration with Elza Baldzhiyska, Lulu Lucero, Angelika Chwyk, Kostadin Nikolov, Ashwini Sarabhai and Janette MacPherson. We're fortunate enough to witness the collaboration display in Cake International and were blown away. It was placed right at the entrance of Cake International welcoming the visitors the traditional Indian away. We were quite intrigued with the work and effort that must have gone behind this display and possibilities of things going against your plans. We had the privilege of getting answers to some of our pressing questions directly from Tina and here's what she said.

 

1. You played a pivotal role in The Incredible Indian Welcome Display collaboration in Cake International this year. How did this opportunity come about and why did you choose to be part of it?

Tina-Scott-The-Incredible-India-Collaboration-9

I have been coming to Cake International (CI) regularly since 2015. For the past two years, I have also been organizing an international collaboration called Incredible India, which showcases the vibrant culture and heritage of India.

I was approached by Melanie Underwood from Cake International to work on an Indian themed display. Melanie knew about my collaboration and wanted me to organize a display at CI inspired by the same theme. Once I sent my final sketch for the display, Melanie thought that it would be great as an entrance feature that welcomes everyone to the show.

Cake International is the world’s biggest cake show, and I’m grateful to CI for giving me a fantastic platform to showcase my work to an international audience. I won Gold and 2nd place for my very first entry in 2015. And that’s how my cake journey started in earnest. CI has always had a special place in my heart and I’ve always considered myself part of this family.

 

2. What was the reason you chose to theme it as an Indian welcome, and how did you conceptualize this?

When I planned the display, I wanted to showcase our Indian traditions and culture vibrantly and colourfully. I had many themes in mind, but the Indian welcome was the one that I thought was best for my first display at CI as it was one that visitors would immediately recognize as India! Namaste is widely known as a traditional way of greeting in India. For my collaboration as well, all participating artists had dressed up in traditional Indian attire and did Namaste. Everyone in the cake industry widely appreciated this unique theme. I wanted to take that a step further with my CI display. While my idea was to welcome the visitors to our display, Melanie had an even better one, to welcome all visitors to the show by giving us the display area at the main entrance.

 

3. This was a collaboration between you and other talented artists, each working on a different component from different parts of the world. How did you choose the artists?

This was a tough choice for me. There were many artists that I really wanted to work with, as there are so many talented artists in our industry. I knew the elements of my display and had sketched the same that I shared with CI. Then I picked up every single element and chose artists that I thought would be able to do the most justice to that piece. Melanie gave me a few suggestions as well.

My initial plan was to have many artists and everyone got to do something of their choice. But I quickly changed that as I wanted each artist to get recognition for their work and didn’t want anyone to lose out like it usually happens when there are too many artists involved. Plus, I wanted larger than life-size cakes! And I had very specific ideas of what I wanted in the display. With each of the artists I approached, I shared the sketch of what I wanted them to make specific and I felt really pleased when they all told me that they were very excited to make it. I stressed on the fact that it needed to be very detailed and lifelike. I am so glad that six talented and incredible artists (Elza Baldzhiyska, Lulu Lucero, Angelika Chwyk, Kostadin Nikolov, Ashwini Sarabhai and Janette MacPherson) said yes to doing this display with me. They are from different parts of the world and didn't have any visibility of other artist's work. Elza is based in London, Lulu is based in Mexico, Angelika is based in Warsaw in the Wola district, Kostadin is based in Southend-on-Sea (United Kingdom), Ashwini is from India and Janette lives in the highlands of Scotland.

Tina-Scott-The-Incredible-India-Collaboration-6

 

Janette created the two elephants, Kostadin created the wonderful Ganesh cake (he just had a printed picture of Lord Ganesha for his reference and not a 3D idol), Elza contributed to the beautiful sitting girl, Angelika did the magnificent Peacock, Ashwini created the fondant lamp (Samayee) surrounded by sugar flowers and the artwork made with edible sugar and Lulu was behind the life-size display of a man holding the Namaste sign.

 

4. Tell us how the entire process came to life and how you managed to transport the structure from India to the UK?

I had been working on planning for the display well in advance. I was in touch with people from Homebakers.co.in who helped me with getting lots of information that I needed as sitting in Dubai; it was difficult to know what I could/couldn’t manage in Birmingham. That way, I knew that making a structure in Birmingham would cost quite a lot, much more than carrying the structure from Dubai to Birmingham. So that’s what I did. I worked on my structure in Dubai and brought it with me to Birmingham, where I continued working on it for a month. I requested the other artists to do so as well if they were going to work with me in the UK. When working on human figures (all life-size) and all being made by artists located in different parts of the world, you need to make sure that all the figures are proportionate to each other. Also, all the other elements needed to match and needed to come together as a whole theme. The colours were discussed in detail, along with the height, proportion, base size (to fit into the display area), etc.

 

5. What were the key challenges that you faced during the last 30 days you worked on your creation?

 

The last 30 days were focused on establishing the size and dimensions of each piece — also, the colours to make sure that the display comes together as a consistent theme.

There was also a lot of focus on making sure that any damage during transit was promptly fixed. I also had to ensure that the backdrop for the display was designed. It was also about being executed as per the demands of the conceptualised design.

 

6. How was your experience while working with other artists who came from different parts of the world? Did you face any challenges and how did you overcome those?

It’s been an incredible experience working with some of the best artists in the world. Each of them brought their expertise. Because of the physical distance and everyone’s busy schedules, it was a challenge to coordinate our work. The language was also a huge barrier. We spoke using Google translate, and I hoped that I was able to convey the right message to everyone.

 

7. What were some of the things that could have gone wrong? Did you have any backup plans for such a situation? How many backs up plans did you have?

You always have to be prepared for the unexpected. For a project of this scale, you need to be mentally prepared that something can and will go wrong. We faced a situation where two of our initial artists had to drop out. It was because of personal reasons, but we managed to redistribute the work between the existing team members. I am grateful to the artists who stepped up when I needed them. Fortunately, we had prepared for such contingencies.

 

8. Please share some of your tips for the budding cake artists out there and who would like to be part of such display exhibits?

For every artist, it is essential to give their very best to their work. On a show such as Cake International, attention to detail is everything. It’s necessary to build your work portfolio. You should be able to demonstrate the improvement in your technique and skills in the work that you put out. I would encourage artists to participate in as many collaborations and cake competitions as they can. It helps build confidence in their work and develop the ability to work with other artists. I am very grateful that I had the experience of handling a collab with so many international artists over two years. I think it helped me to build my leadership and coordination skills.

 

That was Tina's The Incredible Indian Welcome. It's a truly inspiring story for all the home bakers and cake artists. Here are a few close-up pictures of each contribution to the collaboration.

   

If this has gotten you thinking about becoming a home baker, or you want to learn more about how to be a successful home baker, you will find it on our page on how to become a home baker.

To keep getting inspired, do not miss out to get the latest updates on our events, blogs and newsletters on https://homebakers.co.in

Click here to order a cake from homebakers.co.in

8 comments

Post your Comments

NAME *
EMAIL *
PHONE *

Recommended Posts

5 chocolate recipes
5 Chocolate Recipes

5 Chocolicious Recipes - Powered by Mona Lisa and Dezaan India  ...

Read Article
India Bake Show (Virtual) 2021
India Bake Show (Virtual) ...

The dates for the India Bake Show Virtual Cake Competition has moved...

Read Article
Nutty Buddy Cookies
Recipe: Nutty Buddy Cookies

Nutty Buddy Cookies by Chef Anip Kumar - Powered by NatureFresh Professional...

Read Article
Eggless Double Chocolate Muffin
Recipe: Eggless Double Chocolate ...

Eggless Double Chocolate Muffins by Chef Shweta Dutta Nath - Powered by...

Read Article
India's Top 100 2020
India’s Top Home Bakers ...

For the second consecutive year, HomeBakers.co.in has revealed India’s & City's Top...

Read Article
Eggless Cocoa Pista Biscotti
Recipe: Eggless Cocoa Pista ...

Eggless Cocoa Pista Biscotti by Zulekha Badar - Powered by Van Houten...

Read Article
Mississippi Mud Cake
Recipe: Mississippi Mud Cake

Mississippi Mud Cake by Megha Kwatra - Powered by Van Houten Professional...

Read Article
Vegan Quiche Recipe
Recipe: Vegan Spinach and ...

Learn How to Make a Vegan Spinach and Corn Quiche - A...

Read Article
Eggless Apricot Chocolate Cookies
Recipe: Eggless Apricot Chocolate ...

Eggless Apricot Chocolate Cookies by Deepali Sawant - Powered by Van Houten...

Read Article
Christmas Plum Tart
Recipe: Eggless Christmas Plum ...

Eggless Christmas Plum Tart by Chef Nidhi Chadha - Powered by Nature...

Read Article
Sugar-Free Chocolate Sponge Cake
Recipe: Sugar-Free Chocolate Sponge ...

Sugar-Free Chocolate Sponge Cake by Anna Gigi Joseph - Powered by Van...

Read Article
Baker's Guide to Baking Oven
Best Oven for Baking ...

We all want to have the right appliance to suit our needs...

Read Article
Chocolates Sweta Dutta Nath
Recipe: Chocolate Truffles, Bars, ...

Chocolate Truffles, Bars, Rocher & Fudge by Chef Sweta Dutta Nath  ...

Read Article
How to Use Fondant and Gum Paste in the Monsoon
How to Use Fondant ...

Most of us love the rainy season. It brings some reprieve from...

Read Article
How to Price Your Cakes & Bakes
Pricing a Cake: A ...

The most commonly asked question in the baking community is about pricing...

Read Article
Baking & Cake Decorating Online Classes
Exclusive Baking and Decorating ...

Our masterclasses are all currently being held online, and we have brought...

Read Article
Mello Royale Baked Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
Recipe: Triple Chocolate Cheesecake ...

Preparation Time - 25 mins Cook Time - 50 mins Number Of...

Read Article
cake-decorating-icing
Basics: Colouring your Icing

- By Akhileshwari Anand Raj How to use food colouring to get...

Read Article
Banana Toffee by Chef Gaurav Wadhwa
MILKMAID Recipe: Banana Toffee ...

Preparation Time - 10 mins Cook Time - 2 hours 10 mins...

Read Article
Milk Cake By Sonia Gupta
MILKMAID Recipe: Tres Leches ...

Preparation Time - 15 mins Cook Time - 20 mins Number Of...

Read Article
Lemon Oat Tart by Smriti Iyer
MILKMAID Recipe: Lemon Oat ...

Preparation Time - 20 mins Cook Time - 45 mins Number Of...

Read Article
Honey Cake By Avin Thaliath
MILKMAID Recipe: Honey Cake ...

Preparation Time - 45 mins Cook Time - 15 mins Number Of...

Read Article
Eggless Brookies by Chef Arvind Prasad
MILKMAID Recipe: Eggless Brookies ...

Preparation Time - 2 hour 15 mins Cook Time - 15 mins...

Read Article
Recipe: Digestive Oats Biscuits ...

Preparation Time - 15 mins Baking Time - 20 mins Number Of...

Read Article
Recipe: Vegan Banana Muffins ...

Preparation Time - 10 mins Baking Time - 20 mins Number Of...

Read Article
Recipe: Nankhatai by Rupali

Preparation Time - 10 mins Baking Time - 20 mins Number Of...

Read Article
Recipe: Lemon Meringue Cake ...

Preparation Time - 40 mins Baking Time - 1 hour 30 mins...

Read Article
Recipe: Tandoori Paneer Pizza ...

Preparation Time - 30 mins BakingTime - 20 - 25 mins Number...

Read Article
Recipe: Parle G Brownies ...

Preparation Time - 15 mins BakingTime - 15 - 20 mins Number...

Read Article
Recipe: Tutti Frutti Cookies ...

Preparation Time - 15 mins BakingTime - 15 mins Number Of Servings...

Read Article
Recipe: Chocolate Orange Brownies ...

Preparation Time - 20 mins BakingTime - 20 - 25 mins Number...

Read Article
Whole-wheat Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe: Whole-wheat Carrot Cake ...

by Akhileshwari Anand Raj   This recipe is one of the winning...

Read Article
Recipe: Sponge Cake by ...

Preparation Time - 15 mins BakingTime - 25 - 30 mins Number...

Read Article
Recipe: Mango Cherry Cake ...

Preparation Time - 15 mins BakingTime - 30 - 40 mins Number...

Read Article
Kesar Pista Ice-Cream
MILKMAID Recipe: Kesar Pista ...

Kesar Pista Ice Cream This recipe for brookies is by Chef Shalini...

Read Article
Recipe: Eggless Pancakes by ...

Preparation Time - 15 mins Cooking Time - 15 mins Number Of...

Read Article
Easy Ice Cream
Recipe: Easy Ice Cream ...

Preparation Time - 15 mins Cooling Time - 1 - 2 hours...

Read Article
Cucumber Cake
Recipe: Cucumber Cake by ...

By Akhileshwari Anand Raj Preparation Time - 20 mins Baking Time -...

Read Article
Recipe: Croutons by Bhavika ...

By Akhileshwari Anand Raj Preparation Time - 10 mins Baking Time -...

Read Article
Recipe: French bread by ...

By Akhileshwari Anand Raj Preparation Time - 60 mins Baking Time -...

Read Article
Peanut Butter Choco Chunk Cookies
Recipe: Peanut Butter Chocolate ...

Would you like to try making big, thick, chewy, soft cookies loaded...

Read Article
Mango Cheese Cake By Zulekha Badar
Recipe: Mango Cheese Cake ...

Preparation Time - 20 mins Baking Time - 15 mins Number Of...

Read Article
Baked Yoghurt
MILKMAID Recipe: Baked Yoghurt ...

Preparation Time - 10 mins Baking Time - 25 mins Number Of...

Read Article
Apple Crumble Bars
MILKMAID Recipe: Apple Crumble ...

Preparation Time - 15 mins Baking Time - 30 mins Number Of...

Read Article
Marble Cake
Recipe: Marble Cake by ...

By Akhileshwari Anand Raj Preparation Time - 15 mins Baking Time -...

Read Article
India Bake Show (Virtual) 2020
India Bake Show (Virtual) ...

INDIA BAKE SHOW (VIRTUAL) 2020 INDIA BAKE SHOW IS GOING VIRTUAL!!! HomeBakers.co.in...

Read Article
Eggless Choco Chip Brownies By Noopur Shah
Recipe: Eggless Choco Chip ...

By Akhileshwari Anand Raj Preparation Time - 20 mins Baking Time -...

Read Article
butterscotch banana bread
Recipe: Butterscotch Banana Bread ...

By Akhileshwari Anand Raj Preparation Time - 20 mins Baking Time -...

Read Article
Amarnath Banana Cupcake
Recipe: Amaranth Banana Cupcakes ...

By Akhileshwari Anand Raj   Preparation Time - 15 mins Baking Time...

Read Article
Black Grapes Cheesecake
Recipe: Black Grapes Cheesecake ...

By Akhileshwari Anand Raj   Preparation Time - 30 mins Baking Time...

Read Article
Orange Almond Loaf
Recipe: Orange Almond Loaf ...

By Akhileshwari Anand Raj   Preparation Time - 20 mins Baking Time...

Read Article
cover photo
Recipe – How to ...

by Akhileshwari Anand Raj   Marshmallows are universally liked, right from little...

Read Article
Eggless Gluten Free Chocolate Brownies
Recipe: Gluten-Free Eggless Brownies ...

By Akhileshwari Anand Raj   As the world has been staying indoors...

Read Article
Versatile Sugar Pastes
Sugar Paste: Types and ...

It is quarantine time and there is no better way to spend...

Read Article
Baking Flavours & Extracts
Baking & Cooking Flavours ...

As bakers, whether hobby bakers or professionals, we all like to experiment...

Read Article
Aashu Shah Edible Cake Lace
Recipe: Edible Lace by ...

By Akhileshwari Anand Raj   The caking world has grown from simple...

Read Article
Spinach Filo Cups Recipe
Recipe – Spinach Filo ...

Looking out for easy appetizer recipes? Try this simple and easy to...

Read Article
In Conversation with Sonia ...

Homebakers.co.in, in collaboration with Anybody Can Bake, has launched , a 60...

Read Article
A Crash Course on ...

by Akhileshwari Anand Raj   Social media is the ‘new’ medium of...

Read Article
Holi Cakes
Cakes to Order this ...

by Akhileshwari Anand Raj Holi is a widely celebrated festival in India,...

Read Article
The Great Delhi Bake ...

Register NowJavascript on your browser is not enabled. THE GREAT DELHI BAKE...

Read Article
Annaprasanna Topper Tutorial
Annaprasana Toppers Tutorial by ...

By Akhileshwari Anand Raj Theme cakes are always in trend, and cupcakes...

Read Article
How To Use Fresh ...

By Akhileshwari Anand Raj Flowers have always been a beautiful way to...

Read Article
Valentine's Day Desserts
Gifting Ideas for Valentine’s ...

by Akhileshwari Anand Raj February is the month of love, and you...

Read Article
The Great Bengaluru Bake ...

by Akhileshwari Anand Raj   The Great Bengaluru Bake Show was held...

Read Article
Women Baking Entrepreneurs: Government ...

by Akhileshwari Anand Raj   With the rise of the home baking...

Read Article
The Great Pune Bake ...

Register NowJavascript on your browser is not enabled. The Great Pune Bake...

Read Article
The Great Bengaluru Bake ...

The Great Bengaluru Bake Show 2020 The Great Bengaluru Bake Show 2020,...

Read Article
Top-100-Bakers-Brands-2
India’s Top Home Bakers ...

The first-ever list of India's Top 100 Home Bakers, City's Top 25...

Read Article
The Great Bake Shows ...

How to register for the Cake Competition? Read the rules for the...

Read Article
Shweta-Somaiya-Profile
A Chat with Shweta ...

by Akhileshwari Anand Raj is a Top 10 Cake Artist of 2019,...

Read Article
Dr-Asheena-Batra
A Chat with Asheena ...

by Akhileshwari Anand Raj is a dentist by education, but she left...

Read Article
Cupcakes-Diwali-Indian-Motif
Top Cakes & Baked ...

by Akhileshwari Anand Raj   Diwali is coming soon, and it definitely...

Read Article
Cook-and-bake-with-Deepali
A Chat with Deepali ...

is the founder of Cook and Bake with Deepali Culinary and Patisserie...

Read Article
Shikha-Magic-Colours-India
Chat with Shikha, Director ...

Meet Shikha Reema Aggarwal, the Director at Magic Colours® India. Magic Colours®,...

Read Article
Joonie-Tan
A Chat with Joonie ...

by Akhileshwari Anand Raj   is a pastry artist based in Bangalore....

Read Article
Sulakshan-Parameswaran
Chat with Sulakshan, The ...

Meet Sulakshan, the man behind “Ossoro”. Ossoro is a premium food flavour...

Read Article
Home Baker Stories – ...

- By Akhileshwari Anand Raj   is a Hyderabad based home baker,...

Read Article
FSSAI registration
FSSAI Registration for Home ...

Get FSSAI Registration for Home Bakers easy and quick Advice on FSSAI...

Read Article
anupama-profile
Home Baker Stories – ...

- By Akhileshwari Anand Raj is a cake artist from Bangalore. She...

Read Article
Custom-cake
A Guide for Customers ...

- By Akhileshwari Anand Raj   With social media making the world...

Read Article
basabi-sarkar
Home Baker Stories – ...

- By Akhileshwari Anand Raj is a homemaker and home baker from...

Read Article
Home Baker Stories – ...

- By Akhileshwari Anand Raj is a home baker from Kochi, with...

Read Article
Home Baker Stories – ...

- By Akhileshwari Anand Raj is a 41 year old from New...

Read Article
pooja lakhotia
Chat with Pooja Lakhotia

-By Akhileshwari Anand Raj   is the founder of Choc-O-Lock Culinary Art....

Read Article
Aashu-Shah
Home Baker Stories – ...

- By Akhileshwari Anand Raj , a home baker from Hyderabad and...

Read Article
Start a home baking business
How to Become a ...

Do you enjoy baking? Are you looking forward to becoming a home...

Read Article
Rumana Jaseel
Chat with Rumana Jaseel

is India's one of the top cake artists from Kochi. She runs...

Read Article
India Bake Show 23 Bengaluru Competition
India Bake Show 2023 ...

How to register for India Bake Show 23 (Bengaluru) Competition? Read the...

Read Article
The Great India Bake ...

Register NowJavascript on your browser is not enabled. The Great India Bake...

Read Article
chef-bhakti-arora
Chat with Chef Bhakti ...

- By Akhileshwari Anand Raj Chef Bhakti Arora Manekar is one who...

Read Article
FSSAI
FSSAI Registration & Licensing ...

Register NowJavascript on your browser is not enabled. There’s a lot of...

Read Article
Hima Bindu
Chat with Hima Bindu, ...

- By Akhileshwari Anand Raj Ms. Hima Bindu is a renowned cake...

Read Article
home baker making a Chocolate cake
Home Baked Cakes vs. ...

- By Akhileshwari Anand Raj One of the biggest pet peeves of...

Read Article
Chocolate ganache in a wooden bowl .Top view with copy space
Types of Ganache

- By Akhileshwari Anand Raj The Baking world has been taken over...

Read Article
artificial-colorful-colors-68525
Natural Food Colouring for ...

- By Rima Chakraborty With spring just around the corner, all I...

Read Article
Subhashini-Ramsingh
Chat with Subhashini Ramsingh, ...

- By Rima Chakraborty Ms Subhashini Ramsingh is a renowned cake artist,...

Read Article
Michelle Peris
Chat with Michelle Peris, ...

- By Rima Chakraborty I read something few days back and it...

Read Article
Arati-Mirji
Chat with Arati Mirji, ...

- By Rima Chakraborty At the onset, being a home baker seems...

Read Article
Radha-Dhaka-Cake-Artist
Chat with Radha Dhaka, ...

- By Rima Chakraborty When I first Ms. Radha Dhaka, owner at...

Read Article
The Great Bengaluru Bake ...

Official press release by - Rima Chakraborty   Let me be honest,...

Read Article
7 Sugar Alternatives To ...

The new year is upon us and we all like to keep...

Read Article
Baking Essentials for Home ...

A big hello to all the beautiful home bakers in India. Just...

Read Article
blogs-cake-photography
Baking – Great activity ...

Kids and Baking! How cute does that combination sound to you? Well,...

Read Article
You bake, Whizzy delivers!

  If you are running a home baking business in India, you...

Read Article
First-order-birthday-cake
The first milestone!

Crumbs and crickey! Well, it was not just any regular day at...

Read Article
The Great Hyderabad Bake ...

Official Press Release, By Rima Chakraborty, 18 November 2018 HomeBakers.co.in announces its...

Read Article
How to Register as ...

  Home Baker Registration: Go to Click on “Register as a Baker”...

Read Article
A sweet sliceable treat ...

Hi everyone. We keep on celebrating a lot of occasions like mothers’...

Read Article
Frosting

Well, we have all heard that we can judge a cook by...

Read Article
Cake Photography Tricks For ...

I want to share something today. Once upon a time, I used...

Read Article
Hand CraftsManship In Cake ...

We all enjoy cakes, especially the icing on cake takes our heart....

Read Article
Subscribe for updates

Subscribe to our e-mails about special or exclusive promotions and useful articles on bakery products and baking. We will never share your details with anyone else and you can unsubscribe at any time. By subscribing, you consent to receiving email communications from HomeBakers.co.in

Open chat
1
Need help?
Hello 👋
This is Rithika from Homebakers.co.in. How can I help you?