–  Offering a wide range of cookies, cheesecakes, savoury items and Asian-inspired desserts

WHAT began as a lockdown experiment during the height of COVID-19 has grown into a thriving passion project that blends creativity and culture. At just 24, Tamasha Oxford, a young medical student, is balancing textbooks with baking trays, building Maisha’s Bakery into a unique small business shaped by curiosity, discipline and imagination. Launched in 2021 when she was only 19, the bakery started as a way to fill idle time but quickly evolved into something far more intentional. Today, it offers everything from cookies and cheesecakes to tiramisu and savoury treats, along with an unexpected highlight: Asian-inspired desserts influenced by Korean and Japanese cuisine. For Oxford, baking is more than a side hustle; it is a personal expression rooted in childhood memories in the kitchen with her grandmother.

Twenty-four-year-old Oxford found her love for baking by the time she was sixteen. But the young medical student does much more than just bake and run a business. A multifaceted person, Oxford shared that while she is currently taking a year off from school, she has dabbled in pageantry, modelling, dance and even cricket, as she looks forward to graduating next year. However, baking has been a primary love of hers since she was young and has been a defining factor in the relationship she shared with her grandmother. As Oxford shared, “I have always been interested in cooking and baking. Ever since I was younger, my grandma and I would always watch those cooking shows that would show in the morning. ” I have a lot of memories of that,” she added. “I have really fond memories of Christmas time with my grandma baking in the kitchen.” We would always make sponge cake and black cake, and she would always make bread. My grandma makes the best homemade bread. Once I got older, I started helping her.”

Oxford’s passion was matched by her creativity when she entered high school. During her school years, she baked and decorated cakes for her friends’ birthdays. And at just sixteen, a young Oxford baked her first cake from scratch. From then on, and even as she pursued medicine, Oxford knew she wanted to own a restaurant of her own. As she shared, “I always thought when I get older, maybe after I become a doctor, I would open a restaurant.” She noted, however, that during the pandemic, her creations gained significant traction, and, with nothing else to do, she launched her business in February 2021. “During COVID, when I had nothing to do, I thought I do not have to wait. Why not just start now? I started like a trial period of baking things for people in my contacts. I got a lot of feedback. It was a lot of learning and a lot of trial and error.”

Oxford’s menu is a reflection of who she is: diverse and dynamic, which quickly sets the business apart. One of the highlights of Maisha’s Bakery has been its menu, packed with a wide selection of cookies, cheesecakes and a few savoury items. However, Oxford’s Asian-inspired treats have been the star of the menu since their launch. As she told Pepperpot Magazine, she was inspired by her love of anime at the time and was fascinated by the cuisine, which led her to create taiyaki, a fish-shaped waffle with a filling. Oxford brought the treats to a new level with her own unique spins, as she noted, “Traditionally, taiyaki uses red bean, but I did research and realised there are sweet versions too. So I decided to fill mine with custard. I do also offer red bean for those who want to try it.” The business has also evolved over the years, with her now creating entremets, cutlets and crunch cakes, gravitating towards something a bit more luxurious.

Five years later, Maisha’s Bakery continues to grow, with support being a driving factor. As Oxford shared, she has built a loyal customer base and a business that feels more like home. “When I started, it was mostly my friends ordering. Then they would tell others, and others would try it and recommend it to more people. I have quite a few loyal customers, and I love them dearly. It feels very homey. It’s not just a business; it has soul.” She noted, however, that there have been challenging moments when she felt like balancing both the bakery and her studies was impossible. “The good feedback is what has kept me going, because there were many times I wasn’t sure I could continue, especially while managing medicine. It has been really difficult, but I’m still here and still going,” she added. She noted that while ambition has been a driver, balancing all she did at the time was difficult, adding, “I would bake until maybe 2 a.m., sleep, and then wake up early to go to school with the items. When I did the Miss Guyana Culture Queen pageant in 2023, I had to juggle school and pageant prep. I had to pause baking because I couldn’t handle everything at once. Valentine’s—everyone is out, but I have to bake. It’s a lot of sacrifice.”

This is why Oxford says that rest and resisting burnout are vital, especially for young entrepreneurs. Speaking to her own personal growth, she said that balancing business with education has taught her about boundaries and understanding that it is okay not to be going all the time. She added that even when she wanted to keep pushing, she knew she had to take a step back, adding, “I think our mind is our first barrier. It comes down to what you like to do. Don’t limit yourself. People used to ask how I manage medicine and baking. Yes, you can do anything you set your mind to, just don’t kill yourself in the process.” Speaking to young entrepreneurs who may feel the pressure to continuously grind as a way to success, Oxford noted that rest is as important as the hustle, adding, “Rest is important. Taking care of yourself while pursuing your dreams is important. If you are not taking care of yourself, you will not have the energy to continue.”

Looking ahead, Oxford has her sights set on refining and streamlining what Maisha’s Bakery offers. Plans include a more intentional, focused menu, one that trims excess while preserving the creativity that has set her apart. Seasonal items will remain, alongside new additions like tiramisu, homemade sprinkles and a revamped cake menu. She is also working on a Mother’s Day package and a tropical-inspired ‘sunlit serenade’ school package featuring the flavours of pineapple, coconut and passion fruit. But as much as the business is shaped by ambition, Oxford is equally grounded in gratitude. Her aunt gifted her a KitchenAid, her fiancé provided her first mixer, and her mother helped her take those earliest steps. “Community is important,” she added, “I would not be here without my family, friends and even strangers who support me.” It is a sentiment that captures everything Maisha’s Bakery has come to represent—not just a business built on skill and creativity, but one carried forward by the people who believed in it from the very beginning.