62
I
f you’re looking for cake in the
Cape, then Charly’s Bakery is the
place to go … And as avid fans
of the Food Network’s reality
series Charly’s Cake Angels will know,
the journey to cake (and cupcake)
greatness had its humble beginnings at
Swakopmund.
Looking for work as a teen, Charly Biess
began his love affair with baked goods
while sweeping the floors and washing
dishes at a Swakopmund bakery. Then
he was allowed to make puff pastry
and finally – under the guidance of a
German master baker – he learned to
make cakes.
Enter Jacqui … and before long the
couple were married, had children and
headed for Cape Town’s shores. After
settling in, they opened Charly’s in
Thibault Square, boasting food made to
German perfection. Then came the V &
A Waterfront, where they made a name
for themselves for quiches and cakes.
desIgn Namibia October - December 2013
After a while things became so hectic
that they sold up and decided to go
smaller … for a while at least.
Adding their daughters to the mix,
Charly and Jacqui created Charly’s
Bakery and together they became
famous for creating oversized, brightly
iced cupcakes, quirky biscuits and
decadent death-by-chocolate cakes.
Reality bites
Thanks to their baking success, it was
only a matter of time before they were
spotted and asked to be part of a new
reality TV show. Enter Charly’s Cake
Angels.
Following the broadcast of season one
(which was shown in more than 100
territories in Europe, the Middle East
and Africa, Asia, the UK and Ireland),
season two premiered on Food Network
(channel 175 on DStv) in September,
with more and more fans tuning in to
follow the baking action.
Beyond the unrelenting orders and