ALEXANDRA ATKELSKY, DESSERT VIRTUOSO, AND MOM-TREPRENEUR
Some bakers go to culinary school. Alexandra woke up at age seven on a Sunday morning, snuck downstairs before her parents, and made them a Victoria Sandwich cake from scratch. That pretty much tells you everything you need to know.
Born and raised in the south of England, Alexandra moved to Kenya at 18 and never looked back. She comes from a family where creativity and storytelling run deep — her grandfather managed the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton, famously bringing The Beatles and The Rolling Stones to perform there. Her parents met aboard the QE2, where her mother worked in the gift shop and her father was the ship's photographer — the same father who went on to shoot for Southampton FC and Hampshire ICC Cricket. Talent, it seems, runs in the family.
Today Alexandra is a mother of two, a proud Land Rover Defender 110 owner, a farm life enthusiast, and someone who genuinely believes that if you can make it from scratch, you absolutely should. No shortcuts. No compromises. Just real ingredients, made with real love.
When macarons crossed her path, she did what any curious, fearless baker would do — she wanted to know what all the fuss was about. Why were they so notoriously difficult? What made them so magical? She found out. And then she couldn't stop.
The Sweet Mountain Story
It started on a sofa.
In 2019, nestled at the foothills of Mount Kenya in the small town of Timau, Sweet Mountain Bakery was born. The name wasn't complicated — it was simply a love letter to the place Alexandra called home. Sweet, for what she made. Mountain, for where she made it. Sweet Mountain Bakery.
At the time, Alexandra was building a career as a wedding planner. Baking was her passion project — the thing she did because she couldn't not do it. Then Covid arrived and changed everything. As the world moved online, so did Sweet Mountain, and what began as a side project suddenly had a life of its own.
In 2023, an exciting new chapter began — Sweet Mountain opened its first brick and mortar shop. But sometimes the universe has other plans. The location wasn't right, and after a year and a half, the doors closed. Rather than give up, Alexandra did what great bakers do — she regrouped, pivoted, and came back stronger.
Sweet Mountain is now back, fully online, and better than ever. Every filling, every shell, every flavour is still made completely from scratch using only the finest ingredients — because that's the only way Alexandra has ever known how to do it, and that's never going to change.
Kenya's only build-your-own macaron box. Made from scratch. Delivered to your door.