When Kilian was a child, hot home-cooked meals were rare and there was no one around to explain how to combine ingredients into tasty treats. So, Kilian self-taught the only way a child could, by putting store-bought, ready-made meals in the microwave. This continued into adulthood, but the inner ambition to seek better ways to cook and eat was never far away.
Years later, Kilian joined the Luminary Bakery programme in the hope of a better life. Working alongside our bakery team, the support was a comfort. No longer alone in the learning process, trial-and-error became fun. It was through this collaborative effort that Kilian began to feel a bond with the other trainees. As someone who avoided sharing about the past, Luminary’s group sessions offered opportunities for Kilian to process the disadvantage that had been experienced, and also for everyone to walk together in turning their lives around. It created a bond that Kilian called ‘breathtaking’.
Now, with a growing desire to discover the most tempting flavour combinations, Kilian doesn’t she away from experimenting, especially when it came to creating the biscuit recipe here. By the time the sixth batch of attempts came through, Kilian said the taste was ‘like a choir singing in harmony – several tones coming together for something new’. Kilian took fresh mint buttercream – classier than peppermint – and paired it perfectly with coconut biscuits. We were in awe!
‘Luminary is prima (German for ‘great’). I feel respected. I don’t feel judged. It’s very constructive and positive to do baking. They really believe in me here! Like sand in an oyster, life can feel tough and gritty; there are so many pressures and it’s easy to feel as though it’s all so hard; so negative; we should just give up. But like an oyster transforms a piece of sand into a beautiful shiny pearl, with a bit of determination, help and support, we can all shine and become something beautiful too… Luminary has been my oyster.’