Listen to a Londoner: Keira (from Keira’s Cakes)

If you have a notorious sweet tooth like me, you’ll be happy to met Keira, maker of fabulous cupcakes. She loves making and decorating cupcakes so she’s turned her hobby into a business called Keira’s Cakes which she runs out of her home near Canary Wharf.

LLO: Where are you from originally, how long have you been in London and what brought you here?
Keira: I am originally from Long Island, New York. I have been living in London for almost six years. I moved here after getting married to my husband, who was working in London.

LLO: Best part about living in your postcode?
Keira: Access to lots of nice shops and restaurants in Canary Wharf. Plus, it’s well-connected to other great parts of London, like Greenwich and central London.

LLO: You run your own business called Keira’s Cakes, which has a website that makes me drool. Tell us about it and where we can find you.
Keira: I dont have a shop to visit; my business is order-based. So, you can find me online at www.keirascakes.com, or on Facebook, or contact me by email: keirascakes@gmail.com!

LLO: Tell us about the most creative cupcake you’ve ever made. Show us a photo?
Keira: Both creative and time-consuming are grass cupcakes! I use an icing nozzle that creates the look of grass.

LLO: Sometimes cupcakes make a great main meal as well as dessert, but if we feel like munching on something else before indulging in the sweet stuff, where in London would you recommend for dinner?
Keira: One of my favorite restaurants is Maroush. They make delicious Lebanese food!

LLO: What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far as an expat in London or a time when you felt a cultural gap?
Keira: Learning the British slang. I am still learning new slang words six years later!

LLO: Favourite quirky or unique London discovery?
Keira: Shortly after moving to London, I found a church to go to. It’s on a boat! It’s called St. Peters Barge and it’s floating in Canary Wharf.

LLO: Have you found a place in this city that always seems to make you happy? Where and why?
Keira: I love being in a London park on a sunny day. My favorite park close to home is Greenwich park.

LLO: What, if anything, do you miss most from home besides people?
Keira: Having a predictable four seasons in the year!

LLO: If you were to leave London in the near future, which five specific things would you miss the most from here?
Keira: The friends I have made here, how multi-cultural London is (I now have friends from all over the world), the London markets, the London parks, lots of choices of things to do with my free time (museums, art galleries, palaces, etc.)