When Mikayla Brightling wants to remember her late grandmother, she need only visit the garage of her Figtree home, where an old timber table bears testament to the many hours she spent with "Yai Yai" making pastry.
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"There's still knife marks where she's cut the spinach pies and everything into shape," Miss Brightling said. "In Greece, she was a pastry chef and we used to make breads, pies, filo and puff pastries.
"It's definitely where I get my baking skills from."
The TAFE Illawarra student is taking Yai Yai's teachings and turning them into career gold, judging by her year of high achievement in baking.
In September she won a bronze medal at the highly recognised "trades Olympics", then carted home an impressive trophy from the Baking Association of Australia's (BAA) Excellence in Baking National Awards, last month.
Miss Brightling, 20, won the BAA's National Apprentice Pastry Cook of the Year title after notching up a record score at a state's-best pastry competition in Newcastle earlier in the year.
Her winning spread included a selection of Mediterranean-themed pies, sausage rolls, tarts, puffs and quiches - many with elements hailing back to her garage teachings.
"I find baking pastry relaxing," she said. "It's just delicious as well."
Miss Brightling is in the second year of a three-year apprenticeship at Delaney's Cakes in Wollongong.
