Nashauna Drummond, Acting Lifestyle Coordinator

Safia Burton, proprietor of Pastry Passion, merges her passions for baking and finance.

Baking has always been Safia Burton's passion. While attending Immaculate Conception high School in St Andrew, instead of books, she would have a cake in her school bag and at lunchtime, she would supply her line of loyal customers. Even with a demanding job as assistant vice-president in charge of regional marketing and distribution at First Global Financial Services, she always found time to bake. Whenever she got stressed by the demands of her job, she would go home and bake until the wee hours of the morning.

New love

What can be sweeter than chaux puffs that come together to make this French wedding cake: croquembbouche.

In 2006, she reached a crossroads in her professional life. She could either do her MBA or branch out on her own. While in New York checking out applications to study at Stanford or Wharton, she entered a bakery and thought, 'this is what I should be doing!' A few months later, she was studying at the French culinary institute in New York.

Five weeks ago, she opened Pastry Passion Desserterie and Bakery in the Sovereign Centre, Liguanea. Crêpes, frozen custards, snickerdoodles, teramasu cheesecakes, tipple chocolate brownies; if you have a sweet tooth, it will be satisfied with this delicious array of desserts. Though she has a love for French desserts, that has had to be adjusted for the Jamaican market. The response so far has been overwhelming, the crêpes have been a hit and her black forest cake is one of the top-sellers. She sells up to 15 each day.

With a very young, energetic and creative staff (no one is over 30 years old), all her cakes are made from scratch with the finest ingredients; all natural, no mixes, no preservatives, but tons of passion. "I tell my staff to live life with passion. With our desserts, love is the most important ingredient," notes a passionate Burton. Now, her passion for baking and finance has merged.

There is an even sweeter sub-branch of Pastry Passion to be unveiled in the weeks to come, Chocolates by Safia. Truffles, dark, white, milk chocolate delicacies and chocolate sculpting, these are sure to whip those with a sweet tooth into a frenzy. There are also plans for a diabetic dessert line. The passionate tag line; eat dessert first.

Chocolate crêpe with strawberry, blueberry, banana, walnut and ntella filling. Crêpes are available with a variety of fillings. - photos by Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer