Hanna Gale from Mary Made Co voted Sunshine Coast’s best cake decorator

Juggling motherhood with her lifelong passion for baking, Hanna Gale from Mary Made Co has been named the Sunshine Coast’s best cake decorator for 2023.

Juggling motherhood with her lifelong passion for baking, Hanna Gale from Mary Made Co. has been named the Sunshine Coast’s best cake decorator for 2023.

From working at the cheesecake shop to becoming Sunshine Coast’s best cake decorator, young mum Hanna Gale is an example of a generational love for baking.

Hanna’s passion for baking stemmed from the close relationship she had with her grandparents growing up.

“I would always do all the baking with my pop, he used to teach me a lot,” she said.

“We had traditions of baking at Christmas together.”

Excelling in her hospitality classes at high school, Hanna got an after school job at the Cheesecake Shop when she was 15.

“I loved working there and when I graduated, I got offered a full-time position.”

“I started with them the week I left school, and that’s where I learnt absolutely everything I know, I learnt how to bake and decorate.”

Working at the Cheesecake Shop for 10 years and becoming their head decorator for around 7, Hanna finds cake decorating as a way to express her love of art.

“It’s crazy how cake can make people happy,” she said.

“My nan and pop would drive me to and from work everyday for probably three years until I got my license,” she said.

To this day, her pop is still very involved with her baking, asking for videos or photos of her cake creations.

“And with anything I make, he asks me for every detail on how I do it, and how I get things a certain way.

Baking has changed so much over the generations, and there is so many new ways of doing it.”

Hanna's close bond with her grandparents is something she will forever cherish and attribute her passion for baking to.

“Really deep down, probably my passion has grown from my nan and pop.

And my business is named after my nan (Mary), so that all ties in.”

Originally named All Things Icing when it first opened eight years ago, Hanna underwent a rebranding two years ago, choosing the name Mary Made Co in honour of her nan, who had passed away earlier that year.

Even her son, Lane, who will be one next month has shown some interest in baking.

“His favourite toy in my house is my cake spatula,” she said.

“So when I have to make cakes it is so hard to get it off him.

We have tantrums.”

Hanna Gale and her husband will be celebrating the first birth of their son, Lane in early December.

Juggling the part time business with raising Lane, Hanna admits it has been quite difficult to make time for her business.

“It’s not a consistent job, I almost gave up but would always come back,” she said.

Her husband is a FIFO who works on an oil rig out in Western Queensland, so Hanna has had to try and pre-organise times around when her husband is home, and if her parents can come and help.

“At the moment, things take longer than usual, which is fine and I get it done in the end and that’s what matters,” she said.

“A lot of my customers are mums themselves, so everyone is very understanding if I don’t respond straight away.”

A self proclaimed perfectionist, Hanna prides herself in attention to detail.

“I will re-scape a cake four or five times until it is perfect,” she said.

Hanna dreamt of having a cupcake parlour in her early teens, which grew into her dream to own a cake shop.

“Keep your eyes peeled on my social media for the start of next year when I announce some new and exciting things I have been working on, I will be launching a new website alongside.”

Mandy Bakes and Cakes came runner up with 17 per cent of the votes.