Hi, I'm Olivia Williford.

Nice to meet you!

I was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, so my love for food started at a very young age. The large range of cultures in South Africa brings such a wondrous variety of flavours and colours to our cuisine. My mother is Portuguese and she later moved us to Portugal during my teenage years where I was exposed to a whole new culinary world. The beautiful array of different foods and ingredients grabbed my attention early on. I began learning cooking techniques from my mother and was taught many amazing recipes, both savoury and sweet. As my palette developed for these tastes and flavours, I was also introduced to Greek cuisine. I worked for several years in a Traditional Greek restaurant where my experiences with food were expanded further.

I met my American husband while living in Portugal. We got married in The Garden Route, allowing all my family to be present for the ceremony. My Husband fell in love with South Africa, and we vowed to return to live here one day.
For the time being, we relocated to the United States where my husband had work so we could build a life together. We moved to Colorado, USA where I completed multiple pastry and cake courses, which is where I developed my passion for baking. I missed the foods I grew up with and longed to return to my roots.
I am blessed to say that I have had the opportunity to return to South Africa with my husband and children and founded The Painted Cakes.
I am excited to be launching this new business, and hope to provide a satisfying and sweet experience for all present and future clients!