It has been a long learning journey from being a “naughty daughter” in her mother’s kitchen, to being a professional pastry chef.
For Cynthia Bombe, playing around with her mother’s dough as a child inspired her to train and become a professional Pastry Chef de Partie.
“My mother is a self-taught baker, she used to make a living by selling scones and jam tarts when growing up, and I would help her in the kitchen,” said reminisced Bombe.
“At times I would get naughty and use her ingredients when she was not around.
“Those were the fun moments, and I believe that’s when I fell in love with baking and pastry as a whole.”
In 2017 the 27-year-old Diepkloof, Soweto born enrolled with HTA School of Culinary Arts, where she completed her Chefs Certificate in Food Preparation and Culinary Arts.
A year later she joined Times Square casino in Pretoria as a Pastry Chef.
Her interest in pastry chef saw her taking part in the Wedding Chefs competition that was aired on SABC 1 and was announced as the third winner of the competition.
Two months ago Bombe took part in the 2023 South African Chefs Association’s Pastry Championship competition where she was paired with a Johannesburg Culinary Institute first-year student Lorna Biyana.
“I actually met my competition partner on the day of the competition,” recalls Bombe.
“It was very difficult to work with someone you have never worked with before.
“But through hard work, communication, and dedication, we were able to conquer and came 1st position and announced Pastry Championship of the Year 2023.”
Bomba and her competition partner won a cash prize of R20 000.
“I will buy equipment like a stand mixer to allow me to create and bake more in my personal capacity, which will also help me in making content for my Facebook page Oven Time with Chef Bombe,” she says.
“I’ve been a pastry chef for the past six years. I love pastry, it is my passion.
“I didn’t have any experience when I joined Time Square, I had to adapt and fell in love with it.
“You have to be patient working in this part of the kitchen,” said Bombe, who works as a supervisor.
Bombe says her dream is to have her own pastry school to pass on her skills and travel the world to expand her pastry knowledge.
“I look up to Amaury Guichon as a Pastry Chef, and I would also like to advance pastry in our country as it is not widely recognised as compared to other countries.”
