FROM an early age, Karen Althea Mc Gregor learned to do meaningful work with her hands. Her mother, Hyacinth, had a huge kitchen garden and supplied a dry goods store in Linden, along with Chinese restaurants with her produce. Karen’s father, Lloyd, on the other hand reared pigs and poultry. And so, more often than not, she was called upon to help out. 

The family was huge, consisting of 10 siblings (four boys, six girls) and the parents. No one was spared of helping with the chores.
“Farming was like a way of life for me. I didn’t grow up lazy because we were not just being provided for. We had to work and help; help pull the weeds in the garden and so forth. The entire family had to help. It was a must. So the whole family was part of the food drive,” Karen related to the Chronicle a few days ago.
Karen, now 51, who was born and raised in Christianburg, Linden, believes her upbringing trained her to be self-sufficient, as her parents were.
Her mother didn’t believe too much in higher education, but Karen did manage to attend the Christianburg Government School. “In the 1970s, it was just one school, no primary and secondary. If you wanted to go to a high school, your parents had to pay or you had to be very bright to get into like Mc Kenzie High School and Telford and Johnson,” she explained.
After school, she worked briefly with a firm in Linden and then got married to a young photographer Lindon whom she met at a friend’s wedding. Together, they have six children, namely Melissa, Natasha, Genelle, Renetta, Eldon and Koralyn.
But her husband always disliked the idea of a wife having to work, and so ever since Karen got married, she has never managed to work with anyone. After starting to get kids, though, Karen felt she can stay at home and do something with her hands.

Karen’s Cakes
For the past 17 years, Karen has been a cake decorator and her business is known as ‘Karen’s Cake Decorating.’ She started experimenting with simple techniques and after about two years, she began working professionally.

One of her aunts in Linden was a cake decorator and seeing her work, Karen became interested in learning how to icing the cake. The roses and other intricate designs on the cakes always caught her attention.
So while being at home, Karen thought she should not just sit around without doing anything. She also wanted to be able to assist the family financially. She began practicing on her own and making cakes for her family, especially on special occasions such as when her wedding anniversary came around. Some of her friends even took their cakes for her to icing, just for the fun of it.
After Karen’s interest in making cakes was fully developed, she began taking it seriously by doing a few courses with those who were experts and obtaining professional how-to-do books. She eventually got the finesse of it.
Karen can make any type of cakes and for just about any occasion. She believes that the quality she puts into her work sets her cakes apart from any other.
“I try my best not to deviate from people’s designs and the finesse of it. I like my cake to be edible from top to bottom. I don’t like using artificial flowers. Everyone has their signature look and I have mine so that people recognise my work anywhere,” she said.
Karen’s vision include opening up her own training school. She once successfully managed to teach a three-month course to six persons.
She is always punctual with her orders, even if it means working through the night in order to meet a deadline. Karen can be reached on telephone numbers 226 0125, 648 2207, and 601 6762. Furthermore, she usually participates in the Duke Lodge Wedding Expo.
Written By Telesha Ramnarine