Check Out Chayanuch Tinnakul’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chayanuch Tinnakul. 

Hi Chayanuch, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
As a young girl, I was always fascinated with baked goods and how they are made, and I dreamed of one day creating my own specialties that would be popular and successful. Going after that dream would require a long wait though, as there were important matters that had to be attended to first, like getting a good education. This led to a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from a Thai university and a master’s in Communication Studies from an American university. After graduation and a couple of short-term jobs, I landed a dream position as Public Relations and Event Organizer of a major law firm in Thailand. Challenging and exciting, my job involved meeting people and organizing events to promote the firm. I held this job for seven years, then met my husband who was vacationing in Thailand. To make a long story short, we got married and I moved to the US in 2011. It seemed like the opportunity to work on my childhood dream had arrived.

Because I didn’t attend a culinary school, I learned how to bake through short courses in baking schools. With my newly acquired skills, I started my business as a home baker, baking standard recipes for a few people at first. At the same time, I did a lot of experimentation on a variety of cakes and gave them to friends as samples. One of my cakes—pandan cake with sweet egg floss—proved a big hit, so I started devoting a lot of time to perfecting the recipe and promoting it among my customers.

Things would have proceeded nicely from there, but in 2012, I discovered that I was pregnant and gave birth to Baby Allie in 2013. As a result, my baking business came to a halt for three years. I could have settled into a life as a full-time mother, but my dream wouldn’t go away. I started baking again in 2016 when Allie started preschool. With a busy husband holding a demanding job and family members thousands of miles away in Thailand, my business resumed as a solo undertaking. I had to take Allie everywhere I went to deliver cakes or shop for supplies. It was only at night after Allie had gone to bed that I had time to bake, and I worked in the kitchen until morning. Things got better when Allie advanced to Kindergarten because then I found myself with 7 hours in which to work each day before school ended.

Family visits were my favorite times when my business became a family affair. Whoever was visiting—my father, mother, sister, in-laws—volunteered as kitchen assistants. They washed the stacks of dirty baking pans and baking tools in the sink, cut liners for the baking pans, and even cooked meals and cleaned house to free me from those chores. In addition, even though separated by great distances, my mother-in-law and sister-in-law helped in creating my menu and customer communications. And of course, I would not be where I am today without my husband’s understanding and support, which I rewarded each evening with slices of his favorite desserts from my kitchen.

As first mentioned above, baking has always interested me since I was young. Wherever I went, I loved looking at baked goods and desserts to try and figure out how they were made. It was fascinating watching people make food and desserts in real settings. I have learned by observing, taking classes, experiencing failures, and reading books. Customers with challenging orders have also helped me improve my skills. And thanks to technology, I learn new baking skills from the internet and know more wonderful people through various social media.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
All in all, the road I have taken has been rather smooth with just a few bumps during the early years. It may be because I learned to manage my time in handling the various aspects of my business and I have freedom of control because I bake from home. If I move to a brick-and-mortar store in the future, I am not sure how things will be because new and different factors will be in play. Certainly, more people will be involved.

At present, I have two wonderful assistants who are mothers themselves but appreciate the opportunity to work with me and learn new skills in baking. I love my team and we always have fun in the kitchen.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I named my business Kat’s Hand-Baked because everything in my kitchen is made from scratch and by hand. This is especially true with Thai desserts which are very detailed and labor-intensive, as well as custom or themed cakes. I go into great detail communicating with clients to make sure that my products meet their expectations.

My baked goods are more in the style of Asian cakes, which are soft and spongy. They are light in texture and flavored with Asian favorites like pandan, coconut, mango and durian. I make customized birthday cakes as well as Thai desserts. I love integrating the East-meets-West concept, like a cake decorated with Thai desserts or Thai desserts shaped in a cake style. With these combinations, both Asians and Westerners can enjoy desserts together. I was introduced on IG to a well-known food blogger through my crepe cakes. Based on reviews and followers, I believe I am mostly known for my crepe cakes.

Contact Info:

• Email: kat.handbaked@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katshandbaked
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatsHandBaked

Image Credits
For Thai desserts photo (before last photo) – “Jinna Renwick @eatsnstyle”. For Crepe cake photo (last photo) – “Kim Do”