Teena is the cake boss and runs the rather serious side of the business, dealing with all the brides-to-be (and their mothers!) and birthday and special-event cake orders. Thank god, as this leaves me to run around like a lark.

Teena’s curious addiction started before we left for London. We photographed loads of Teena’s cakes in various configurations on the floor and table of her parents’ house, but on arriving in London, we found most of the cake decorating shops were based outside the city — too far to commute — while those in the central zones weren’t really interested in an Aussie upstart with a small portfolio.

Instead, Teena spent her split shifts at an obligatory Michelin-starred restaurant, The Greenhouse, sitting in London’s Green Park reading cake magazines and pining for a cake opportunity.

After working for a while for Angela Hartnett at the Connaught hotel, luck intervened, when ‘big Ange’ asked me to make a cake for the Chelsea Football Club. I was at a loss until Teena pointed out there was a cake shop close by in Putney. So off we went and gathered our supplies. As we left the cake shop, Teena ventured to ask if she could bring in her portfolio. The manager agreed, Teena returned, and finally found herself where she wanted to be.

English wedding cakes are full-on, no expense spared, and with the small team and a fantastic chemistry, fabulous cakes ensued.

There came a time to head home as our visas were up. We were back in Hobart, when an email arrived with the offer of a restaurant opening in New York.

Teena has always had an obsession with flowers, and the restaurant in New York was decorated by Jane Packer, one of the world’s most influential florists. Through pure dumb luck and a little bluff we wrangled Teena into Jane Packer’s shop, where she got to make some truly beautiful floral arrangements in an intense training extravaganza.

When we finally returned to Hobart, Teena’s love affair continued. Her knowledge of flowers and her contacts have been essential to embellishing our cakes in modern designs.

The fabulous thing about Teena’s cakes is that the more intricate the design, the more likely she is to take an order on!