World Of Crema With Tia Berardinis

WORLD OF CREMA WITH TIA BERARDINIS

Inspired by her sister Claudia, Letitia Anne Clark (another one of our LM Women) and Leila Gohar, Tia from World of Crema creates desserts that ignite childhood nostalgia. Her signature crema swirls and Italian inspired flavours sat centre stage at our birthday celebration for one year of our Avalon store and were a highlight of the activation. Below she shares her journey from media sales to baker, how she approaches crafting a menu, and where she finds inspiration.

Tell us about yourself and World of Crema. What inspired you to make a career from cake making and styling?

My name is Tia, I’m 24 years old and I graduated from UTS with a business degree in finance and marketing. I’m a fairly lively, relaxed person. My friends and family are everything to me. I search my feelings through all mediums of art; music, painting, food, dance!

After graduating, I found myself in a flurry of jobs from retail to media sales. Positions I didn’t feel passionate enough to be in but felt it was the only sensible path for me. This all changed when my sister Claudia began to work in kitchens as a chef. I was instantly inspired by the creativity she had found in herself and longed for that unbound self expression that your own two hands could offer.

Within a few months I had left my stable job in media sales and commenced my first job as a baker at Flour and Stone. I learnt the fundamentals of kitchen etiquette here, I learnt what it meant to be part of a team and felt addicted to the rhythm. I was honoured to have been offered an apprenticeship by my idol Nadine Ingram but it felt wrong to commit to it at the time. I suffered with the idea of commitment and being stuck in one place for the next three years. I left the job and travelled for several months back to my home town and all around italy.

I landed a summer job as a cook in a beautiful villa in Tuscany called Villa Cozzano. I hosted a few cooking classes and catered to intimate and large groups of guests. I did feel out of my depth, I really am a home cook and am not a chef in any sense, but I cooked from the heart and received really great feedback. The experience affirmed my path in food. It helped that co-owners Manuel and Sofìe were my cheerleaders and left me to my creative devices every mealtime!

On my return to Sydney, I felt a little lost. I was recruited as a chef for my sister and her partner’s former restaurant Bar Berkelo in Terry Hills. So I helped develop the menu and recipe tested.

In search of a creative outlet and freedom of expression, my sister Claudia and I decided to start CREMA in March of this year. Unfortunately Claudia is no longer baking with me, however I am so grateful we started it together because as a younger sister I really needed the initial support and encouragement from her to feel confident enough in myself to do what I do now.  

It’s come really far from where it started, my visual style and flavours have definitely been at play but it finally feels like home to me. I’ve found my groove and I’m so happy to be here!

For our 1st birthday you made and styled multiple desserts. What goes into preparing for an event? Can you share the considerations and steps you took to craft a menu and prepare the desserts?

What inspires your flavours and styling?

I am strongly connected to my Roman & Sicilian roots, and my flavours are undeniably influenced by this. The flavours are a journey through my memories of summers spent in Italy with my family. It’s simple and it’s delightful. I don’t enjoy cakes that are overly complicated in flavour.

CREMA is as much of an exploration of my identity as it is discovery. I’m always looking to expand and be in a constant state of learning. A few of my idols that do this for me are Natasha Pickowicz, Letitia Anne Clarke and Stromabakes on Instagram.

Each of them are so thoughtful in their technique yet playful and imperfect in their presentation, which is something that encourages me to be at play in the kitchen and to never be too serious.

Culinary visionary Leila Gohar has had an extreme influence on me and many bakers alike, where the tall, long, out of the ordinary and the ridiculous is invited.

BESS paddington florist has also inspired my styling with their incredible native Australian flowers and wild arrangements. They have definitely become part of CREMA and I’m so grateful for the great relationship I’ve forged with them.

Overall my styling looks to ignite the childhood nostalgia and excitement of cake but through mature sensibilities.

WORLD OF CREMA WITH TIA BERARDINIS

Inspired by her sister Claudia, Letitia Anne Clark (another one of our LM Women) and Leila Gohar, Tia from World of Crema creates desserts that ignite childhood nostalgia. Her signature crema swirls and Italian inspired flavours sat centre stage at our birthday celebration for one year of our Avalon store and were a highlight of the activation. Below she shares her journey from media sales to baker, how she approaches crafting a menu, and where she finds inspiration.

Tell us about yourself and World of Crema. What inspired you to make a career from cake making and styling?

My name is Tia, I’m 24 years old and I graduated from UTS with a business degree in finance and marketing. I’m a fairly lively, relaxed person. My friends and family are everything to me. I search my feelings through all mediums of art; music, painting, food, dance!

After graduating, I found myself in a flurry of jobs from retail to media sales. Positions I didn’t feel passionate enough to be in but felt it was the only sensible path for me. This all changed when my sister Claudia began to work in kitchens as a chef. I was instantly inspired by the creativity she had found in herself and longed for that unbound self expression that your own two hands could offer.

Within a few months I had left my stable job in media sales and commenced my first job as a baker at Flour and Stone. I learnt the fundamentals of kitchen etiquette here, I learnt what it meant to be part of a team and felt addicted to the rhythm. I was honoured to have been offered an apprenticeship by my idol Nadine Ingram but it felt wrong to commit to it at the time. I suffered with the idea of commitment and being stuck in one place for the next three years. I left the job and travelled for several months back to my home town and all around italy.

I landed a summer job as a cook in a beautiful villa in Tuscany called Villa Cozzano. I hosted a few cooking classes and catered to intimate and large groups of guests. I did feel out of my depth, I really am a home cook and am not a chef in any sense, but I cooked from the heart and received really great feedback. The experience affirmed my path in food. It helped that co-owners Manuel and Sofìe were my cheerleaders and left me to my creative devices every mealtime!

On my return to Sydney, I felt a little lost. I was recruited as a chef for my sister and her partner’s former restaurant Bar Berkelo in Terry Hills. So I helped develop the menu and recipe tested.

In search of a creative outlet and freedom of expression, my sister Claudia and I decided to start CREMA in March of this year. Unfortunately Claudia is no longer baking with me, however I am so grateful we started it together because as a younger sister I really needed the initial support and encouragement from her to feel confident enough in myself to do what I do now.  

It’s come really far from where it started, my visual style and flavours have definitely been at play but it finally feels like home to me. I’ve found my groove and I’m so happy to be here!

For our 1st birthday you made and styled multiple desserts. What goes into preparing for an event? Can you share the considerations and steps you took to craft a menu and prepare the desserts?

What inspires your flavours and styling?

I am strongly connected to my Roman & Sicilian roots, and my flavours are undeniably influenced by this. The flavours are a journey through my memories of summers spent in Italy with my family. It’s simple and it’s delightful. I don’t enjoy cakes that are overly complicated in flavour.

CREMA is as much of an exploration of my identity as it is discovery. I’m always looking to expand and be in a constant state of learning. A few of my idols that do this for me are Natasha Pickowicz, Letitia Anne Clarke and Stromabakes on Instagram.

Each of them are so thoughtful in their technique yet playful and imperfect in their presentation, which is something that encourages me to be at play in the kitchen and to never be too serious.

Culinary visionary Leila Gohar has had an extreme influence on me and many bakers alike, where the tall, long, out of the ordinary and the ridiculous is invited.

BESS paddington florist has also inspired my styling with their incredible native Australian flowers and wild arrangements. They have definitely become part of CREMA and I’m so grateful for the great relationship I’ve forged with them.

Overall my styling looks to ignite the childhood nostalgia and excitement of cake but through mature sensibilities.