THE BAKING QUEEN 'ETERNALLY GRATEFUL TO ROTARY'
Regular Hawthorn Makers Market stallholder, Marie Drinkwater (see pic), known as 'The Baking Queen, says she is 'eternally grateful to Rotary.' She was one of 50 local artisans at the October 5 Market selling their original hand crafted items.
In fact, Marie's gratitude extends beyond Camberwell Rotary, which provides a monthly outlet for her popular scones and cookies, to Canterbury Rotary, who helped launch her career nearly 30 years ago.
According to Marie, in 1995, Canterbury Rotary advertised a free five-day management course at Coopers Lybrand (now PwC). Marie, then a mature-aged Monash Business graduate seeking work, applied and was accepted. “It was quite an in-depth five days,” she recalls. The experience soon helped her secure a long term position at Victoria Legal Aid.
Years later, after caring full-time for her ill mother, herself a professional baker, Marie turned to baking and created The Baking Queen, building her own website and social media following.
In 2011, she was invited to speak at Canterbury Rotary about the long-term benefits of that early management course.
Today, while also working part-time at Box Hill Hospital as a Carer Consultant, Marie continues to bring her delicious treats to the Hawthorn Makers Market each month- another fine example of Rotary making a difference in our community.
The next Hawthorn Makers Market Market is on Sunday 2nd November from 10-3 at the heritage Hawthorn Arts Centre. As we approach the festive season, there'll be gifts galore to explore, including Marie's scrumptious scones and cookies for that short term hunger fix.