Interview with a Dreamchaser 🌟 Sarah Frison 🌟

Sarah Frison, a Belgian pastry chef and chocolatier living in the U.K., shares the importance of building community while chasing your dream.

Tell me about a time you had to start over, or a dream you accomplished.

I used to run a business making Belgian chocolates and sold them to people across the UK. The demand was so high, I expanded and added a whole bunch of Belgian chocolates and bits of confectionery I got from Belgian producers. Which was great but my heart condition and working from a tiny space meant I couldn't keep up with the demand and I had to close the business. I ended up moving to recipe and cookbook writing and published my first book late last year, a cookbook all about the Belgian holiday season and traditions featuring recipes from the shop. I also write here on Substack where I talk about Belgian food and baking with some food history as well and I'm working on more recipes to share, possibly in a new book and have just released a mini book all about Fall baking.

A career artist must hustle to sell themselves and their work. What’s your #1 Hustle Tip?

Talk to people! Find a business thing that makes sense for you and don't be afraid to find people offline and/or off social media interested in what you do. We often see social media as the way to start a new business, and yes, as an artist, you do run a business, but it's not the only way and not always the right fit for every person or type of business. Ultimately a business needs people who want to buy the product the business provides, whether that's a service, art or physical item.

What big hurdle did you overcome to reach your goal?

Dealing with the limitations from my heart condition and lack of space was the big challenge for sure. I wasn't sure if getting local people interested in my products, rather than just fellow Belgians here in the UK, would be a challenge as well but everyone loved our products as soon as they tried them or even before.

What’s the main lesson you learned?

I still love it all so much so I'd love to just have kept going. Not without proper funding and space! There's only so much you can overcome.

Do you have another goal or dream?

Bringing Belgian food and baking to more people and show people all the yummy things Belgium and the surrounding areas have to offer.

What’s your advice for someone who’s starting over, or wants to achieve a dream?

Get to know your energy levels and choose where you invest your time wisely. Even if you haven't got limitations, it's worth considering whether how you spend your time aligns with what you want to achieve and can get you the results you're looking for or if it's just a general expectation or something people are saying you should do.

Sarah Frison is a Belgian pastry chef and chocolatier living in the UK where she used to run an online shop selling Belgian chocolates and confectionery. She now focuses on writing cookbooks, articles and shares her tips and tricks for creating patisserie-level bakes at home. On Sarah’s Substack, she writes about food, sharing recipes and working on cookbooks with authentic Belgian baking. Her first book, The Festive Belgian Bakery, features recipes and techniques from the shop as well as Belgian holiday season favourites and a dive into holiday season traditions.