Shari Tomlinson’s foray into baking and entrepreneurship is a testament to her passion and determination.
The journey began with baking for friends in high school four or five years ago.
But it was her innate yearning for learning that compelled her to study entrepreneurship and business management at the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech).
Reflecting on her beginnings, Tomlinson recalls creating a cookie recipe that her friends insisted she starts selling.
‘I hesitated for a while, but in 2020, I decided to launch Dough Jamaica while working from home’.
While initially struggling with cake baking, she admits that cakes were not the best, but that she honed the skill for better.
Dough Jamaica founder Shari Tomlinson is in her element. (Photo: Contributed)
‘I [constantly] made them for family and friends, and over time, I improved. Today, I enjoy experimenting with new creations. I’ve introduced a monthly cake sampler box with four different flavours. I’m driven to explore new ideas.’
Tomlinson’s offerings prove her creativity is boundless. Her menu caters to various palates, from cookies to pies, and cheesecakes.
Her method for success is simple: maintaining a rapport with customers – something she admits, is easy to maintain when her delectable creations are mentioned.
‘I strive for simplicity in my designs and flavours… I’d described my style as minimalist,’ she inserted.
With the help and support of her brother Simon ‘Tomo’ Tomlinson – a radio disc jock and sketch comedy sensation who’s quite popular on social media – Shari has amassed over 10k followers on Instagram.
It also helps that she’s often featured in Tomo’s TikTok skits.
Recently, Gold Seal Flour gifted some bakers, chefs, and local culinary personalities with flour products to experiment.
Tomlinson decided to bake a vanilla cake using Gold Seal Flour for the first time. And though she decided to challenge herself with alternative baking methods, Tomlinson swapped her typical ‘rolls and pies’ technique for ‘a classic vanilla cake… and the feedback was fantastic!’
Marielle Wade, brand manager of the Seprod-manufactured Gold Seal Flour is simply pleased to observe the rising interest in the products.
‘We offered a few bakers and chefs some Gold Seal flour to experiment with…even though it is all-purpose, it is unbleached and pre-sifted,’ which, in the baking world, translates to time-efficiency.
Today, Tomlinson is expanding her flavour offerings beyond classics like chocolate, red velvet, coconut, and lemon cakes to innovative options like lychee and coffee cakes and dessert.
