Today we’d like to introduce you to Timiza Sanyika.
Hi Timiza, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Delicious Delectables was created in the kitchen at my parents’ Inglewood home as a way to generate money to fund my student films at California State University Long Beach.
During this time, Delicious Delectables grew a loyal following through word of mouth and grassroots advertisement; and launched into the go-to source for organic and delicious desserts, custom catering cakes, cookies, and pies for birthday parties, holiday parties, and other special life celebrations.
After graduation, I entered the film industry and found balancing the demands of my growing business while working my way up the entertainment ladder very challenging, so I put baking on hold. It wasn’t until I moved to Brooklyn, New York to continue my film and television career that I got back into the kitchen. With the encouragement from a dear friend, I re-launched Delicious Delectables and continued to pursue my passion for cooking and baking by providing desserts to local cafes, coffee shops, and craft services catering for film, television, and still photography sets.
In 2016, I returned to Los Angeles to work for a major television studio and a new co-worker who recently sampled my desserts suggested that I enter the KCRW Good Eats Pie Contest. I entered the competition two days before the submission deadline and ended up winning in the Vegan Pie Category. After that win, the orders for plant-based desserts came rushing in.
I take pride in making vegan cakes, cookies and pies that rival their dairy counterparts.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
For a long time, I didn’t want to be known as a person who baked cakes, I would always say I am a filmmaker and television producer who knows how to create desserts. I always downplayed my baking passion because I had no formal training except for the professional skills I learned while working as a producer for the food network and cooking channel. It wasn’t until 2016 that I truly embraced the fact that I am an exceptional baker and that baking is one of my GOD-given talents.
One of the biggest challenges I have faced with my business is balancing the time between my daytime career in television with my thriving business.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Delicious Delectables; Cakes, Cookies, and Pies was launched to help fund my film and tv career and now this business has transformed into a dessert and food media business.
I was raised to live healthy by understanding the importance of eating the right foods that promote whole-body wellness. Healthy living is the ideology behind Delicious Delectables: cakes, cookies & pies, all of our desserts are homemade, organic, and all-natural from scratch; using the highest quality, fresh, seasonal, and local ingredients. I create distinctive treats by special order. As a special order only company, accommodation for food allergies such as nuts, dairy, eggs & gluten-free are available.
Delicious Delectables: cakes, cookies & pies also offers plant-based cooking classes, food styling services, food photography service & food media support.
How do you define success?
I define success as the freedom to use all of my God-given talents and skills to be able to share those talents with my friends, family, and community while making a living.
It is fulfilling to see people smile enjoying a dessert that I have created or a film/tv show I produced.
Success is the freedom to live outside of any box and be all of the things that you are.
Me, I can produce, direct, shoot photos, bake cakes, cookies, and pies because I love to tell stories through media and through food.
I was ten years old when I first started cooking and it was at that age that I also knew I wanted to make movies… and years later, I am living those dreams.
That is a success to me.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: TimizaSanyika.com and deliciousdelectables.com
- Instagram: @deliciousdelectables
- Facebook: @Deliciousdelectables
Image Credits
Personal Photo Credit: CharritaNelsonShoots.com Additional Photos: Photo Credit Timiza Sanyika/Ashley Joy Photo of Me Holding the Donut shot by Ashley Sears
