Shoshawna Patel surprised even herself when she won gold in the baking category at the Skills Canada B.C. competition held in Abbotsford last month.
With a provincial win under her belt, the Grade 12 New Westminster Secondary student has her sights set on the national title. She will travel to Winnipeg in June for the Skills Canada competition, which run June 1 and 2.
The Record caught up with Patel to hear how she’s preparing and what got her interested in baking.
When did you get interested in baking?
I’ve been interested since I was very young, but I never really started actually baking and getting into it until I was in maybe Grade 8 or 9.
Why did it take so long to get started?
There wasn’t really any courses in elementary school or in high school that could have helped me do what I wanted to do, but as I got older there was a lot more opportunity. And when I would be baking I would be with my grandma, but it would be like out-of-the-box little cake baking.
What do you like most about baking?
I like the feeling that it gives to people. Like, of course, I love the creativity of it, but my favourite part is the reaction that I get from people when they enjoy it.
What’s your favourite thing to make?
Personally, I really enjoy doing cakes because I get to decorate them the way I like to.
So it’s almost like art, right?
Yeah. My cake is my canvas.
What about challenges? Is there anything that’s particularly difficult?
Honestly, this competition has been the most challenging. I believe it’s because I’m still going to high school and I’m still working and my life is still going on on top of making sure I have time and energy put aside for that.
Yeah, so what do you do to prepare for competitions?
For the first competition I would do just Saturday morning for eight hours practising. It would be like – because competition is seven hours long – it was basically we would time ourselves and we’d do a mini competition. And for right now, I go in two days a week, so Saturday and sometime during the week, and I practise because it’s going to be three-and-a-half hours and it’s going to be two days long. So it’ll be seven in total when we’re in Winnipeg, and I’m just basically timing myself and doing what I need to to prep for the competition, making everything I need to.
What will you have to bake at the national competition?
We have to do bread, then eclairs, cake and cookies.
Oh wow.
But when we do get there, there’s three different ways we could make the bread – we braid it in three different ways – and it’s a surprise as to which one they want us to do.
So there are some surprises?
Yeah. And as well as the time difference. I feel like that’s going to be a little bit of a struggle because my mind isn’t going to be thinking in a different time.
So it’s gone from seven hours to three-and-a-half hours and two days, do you think it’ll be easier or harder?
Currently, with my practising, it’s been a lot easier. Like the first day being three-and-a-half hours, I get to prep everything I need to and then I present two of my items. And then the next day, which is the last three-and-a-half hours, is much easier because I’ve prepped everything and I just need to assemble it all.
What was the Abbotsford (provincial) competition like?
It was really exciting. At first I was really nervous, I was actually competing against my best friend, so it was really difficult. We were supporting each other, and at first I paid attention to the fact people were watching, my hands were shaking, it was unbelievable, and then towards the middle of it, I had forgotten that people were even there. I stayed at my station the majority of the time, and I just powered through. I finished early so I was done and everything turned out perfectly.
Did you expect to win?
No, I really didn’t.
Do you have any expectations or goals for the national competition?
I plan to practise a lot harder than I did this time (for provincials) because during our mock competition, I never won even once. So I’d like to win my mock competition this time in order to really win next time.
Good for you! Is this the first time you’ve competed?
Yeah, it is. My instructor actually mentioned it to me as well as my best friend.
What are your plans after graduation?
I actually start up at the Art Institute in July, and I’m going to be doing a one-year Red Seal program.
That’s awesome. What does your family think of your accomplishments?
They’re pretty proud of me considering I got in to two schools, I just had to decide which one I was going to go into. And I’m working hard to maintain my grades, so they’re pretty proud.
