Hello, my name is Natalia (or Lia for short).
I am the owner of Lia’s Gastronomy Sdn Bhd, the baker at Lia’s Pie in the Sky artisan bakery, and the sole provider for my family. My business and my family are now based in Penang, but, most importantly, I am finally in Malaysia! It has been my dream to live in Malaysia since my first visit in 2002…
The story of how I reached here to make my dream come true is long and complex. Let’s just say that my life has had its twists and turns to eventually bring me to where I wanted to be, doing what gives me utmost joy and satisfaction - baking!
It has not been an easy path, and it is not always a piece of cake now: to be the only one responsible not only for my business and for my family in a foreign country, but also for all the baked products available in my bakery: right now I am not yet ready to share the pleasures of baking with my apprentices…
And I am sure it will be a challenging journey further ahead… But what is life without its unexpected downs and ups to fulfil our goals and to satisfy our ambitions? If it is safe, calm and predictable - it may be nice, but utterly boring, like a plain pound cake.
Therefore, whichever path my life will take from this point onwards, right now I am happy to be in Penang, in Malaysia, and to enjoy the privilege to bake the real food for all my bakery’s customers. I emphasise REAL in our bakery products, made and baked from scratch, without any additives, without premixes and without unnecessary chemicals, never defrosted / reconstituted out of frozen. This is what sets my business apart in Malaysia.
Briefly about my background. I was born in Eastern Europe. At the age of 16 I left my family and my home to travel to USA, and roughly a year later I ended up settling down in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It so happened that I stayed living in Dubai for 27 years, owning and running several businesses there. Life is unpredictable, and thus it is amazing!
I hold Italian passport, and I used to spend summers in Italy, Mediterranean region and all over Europe, baking, learning, eating and embracing the adventures life treated me with. Winters were reserved for my travels through Asia, but, despite all the countries I have visited, I wanted to return to Malaysia.
My aim in my baking today remains the same as many years ago: HEALTHY and tasty, natural food with simple ingredients, going back to the roots of our past generations and extracting the good, often forgotten practices from years gone by. I eat to stay healthy and fit, and I wish the same for my bakery customers.
I am open to any comments, suggestions and constructive criticism. I bake for you, so I want to know what you really taste, feel and think!
