Meet The Skinny Bakery

The Skinny Bakery’s founder, Mariella

You can forget the mumsy cake-makers of yesteryear: Mariella Crosthwait and her Skinny Bakery have transformed baking into something entirely more sophisticated, glamorous and modern. Part Swiss and part Italian, Mariella has good food in her genes and has decided to put her talent to the test by setting up her very own bakery.

With a degree in philosophy from UCL under her belt, a love of fashion, and experience in the music industry, Mariella has many strings to her bow. But she has decided to focus her efforts on her new business, recognising that even the most figure-conscious of us have a craving for a cupcake every now and then. And this is what inspired Mariella to develop low-fat recipes for all of our favourite treats, from flapjacks to chocolate cakes.

All of the Skinny Bakery’s goodies contain less than 200 calories apiece, and are already a favourite of those in the fashion industry, having been enjoyed at Vogue House and Storm Models. Feedback from the fashionable on the cakes? “We loved them all!” RIH met Mariella to find out more about The Skinny Bakery…

Baking has always been a hobby of yours, but what made you decide to make it a career?

I saw a gap in the market - we have light chocolate bars, low calorie frozen yoghurts and lots of diet fizzy drinks, but there’s no brand that specialises in baked treats that we can enjoy with a clear conscience! And I’d done quite a bit of experimenting with healthy baking before setting up the business.

What’s the skinny secret?

Baking can be very temperamental. Ingredients have to be in precise proportion, and equipment size and oven temperatures all play vital roles - if any element isn’t quite right, the results aren’t up to scratch. The trick is to keep fat ingredients to a minimum.

What’s been the hardest part about the business?

The reaction people have to low-fat baking is polarised - people either get it and love it, or they don’t get it at all and think you’d be better off going for a different type of snack altogether. Coming up with the products was not at all easy - there was a lot of experimentation involved in the development process!

What’s your favourite treat?

A tough choic,e but my personal favourite is probably the chocolate brownie because it is so gooey and chocolatey. I’m a big fan of chocolate.

Do you think we are exposed to too much pressure from the media to diet?

The pressure from the media to be thin is immense. Models are often unhealthily slim, while many celebrities commit a huge amount of time and effort to staying in shape thanks to dieticians and personal trainers, resulting in an unrealistic goal for normal women. There is definitely an increase in extreme dieting and obsessive eating habits amongst women I know, which it seems is considered totally normal. Indulging in a slice of Skinny cake as part of a balanced diet helps you to maintain a healthy weight without depriving yourself… Moderation is central to the Skinny philosophy!

For more information or to place an order, see the Skinny Bakery website.