Cécile Bedu welcomes us to her brand-new cocoon-labo-atelier, recently opened on impasse Font-Roubert in Mougins. The girly-chic décor is just as warm and bright as the owner’s, with white, cream, taupe and powder pink tones blending with the gourmet scent of cakes rising in the oven. On the vast central work surface sits a superb 3-tiered pastry creation on which the “cake designer” puts the finishing touches, driven by the same creative passion as in her early days. A look back at the career of one of our Mougins destination’s culinary talents!

A passion inherited from her mother

Born in French Guiana to teacher parents, Cécile spent most of her childhood in Nice. At an early age, she began studying hotel management at the Lycée Paul Augier. “This sector matched my dynamic, sociable and creative temperament, and my love of service. After graduating from high school, I specialized in management, marketing and sales. I liked working with people and organizing events. At the time, I already loved pastry-making, which I had learned and practiced from an early age at my mother’s side, but I never imagined for a second that I could make a living from it!”

Generous, authentic and passionate, Cécile’s professional experience has taken her from seasons in Monaco in the restaurant business, to home chef, barmaid at the Martinez, night auditor at the Gray d’Albion, receptionist at the Carlton, then sales positions at the Pullman, the Moulin de Mougins and the Old Course golf course…

” Alongside my career, I continued to indulge my passion for pastry-making in the private sphere. Initially, I relied on an old yellow-covered cookery book passed down from mother to daughter in the family. It included my childhood favorite, a chocolate moelleux to die for. Then, with my studies and my very self-taught side, I went far beyond these recipes, trying my hand at several more technical classics like Paris-Brest, of which the sweet tooth that I am is a big fan! Very quickly, however, I stepped out of the box. People say that pastry-making is very precise, but I need it to be creative, I like to try variations, remove, add, rework… ”

Having found a field in which she can fully express herself, Cécile is baking more and more, and is in demand by her close circle of friends and family for birthday cakes and other events. ” At first it was for family, then colleagues, friends and friends of friends. It grew too big to remain a hobby… It was when my third daughter was born that the idea of a career change came up. ”

A successful conversion!

Cécile is a go-getter. Once she had made up her mind, there was no stopping her. After a skills assessment, her choice was confirmed: she was going into pastry-making. A place opened up at the last minute in a CAP (essential for pastry-making), and she took it at the drop of a hat. She went back to school, completed her apprenticeship with pastry chef and chocolatier Philippe Brito in Cannes, learned her trade, got up at 4am… “It was a complicated few months, but when the time came to take up the trade, I was ready. It was a complicated few months, but when you feel that everything’s aligned, when you’re driven by passion, it’s ok…”

Once trained, she specialized in “cake design”, the art of making creative pastries with spectacular, made-to-measure decorations, according to the customer’s wishes and tastes. Haute couture” creations, multi-layered set-pieces, cakes featuring universes or taking unusual shapes such as characters, handbags, heeled shoes or footballs… anything is possible! That’s precisely what I like about it: it’s creative and limitless, and each new request is an exciting challenge, with the pleasure of giving pleasure,” Cécile points out, adding: “I also insist on taste. For a long time, cake design was described as superficial, confining itself to aesthetics. I’m careful with raw materials, and prefer seasonal products. “.

Word of mouth quickly spread, and the small company Cecile Sweets & Design continued to grow. In addition to private customers, Cecile’s creations are also popular with event organizers, hotels, caterers and private beaches. “My job offers me incredible opportunities. I discover sumptuous locations such as the Palais Bulles Pierre Cardin, Château de La Napoule, Château de Castellaras, and other exceptional addresses in Marseille and Monaco. I take part in prestigious events such as the Monaco Grand Prix, the Cannes Film Festival and other professional congresses in the region. This summer, I was asked to shoot a TV show in a luxury villa at Cap d’Antibes! ”

Focus on workshops and training

After working for several years in a space set up directly in her Mougins home, Cécile has taken a new step by opening her own workshop. ” Very attached to staying in Mougins, I fell in love with the place, which I then fitted out to measure. It offers me a friendly, spacious, bright workspace where I can welcome my customers, explains the pastry chef, all smiles. It’s also an ideal space for organizing pastry workshops: for children, adults (cohesion, learning), or companies (team building). I’m also planning workshops in English to learn the vocabulary of pastry-making, and training courses for those wishing to become professional cake designers. And why not open a small, cosy “boutique” corner for “travel cakes” (financiers, cookies) and hot drinks?”

A wonderful adventure… To be continued and enjoyed during your stay in Mougins.

Know more :

cecilesweets@gmail.com / +33 (0)6.47. 82.66.31