Békéé
You must be wondering why Bekee. What does it mean? How is it pronounced? Well, it’s pronounced “Bay-kay”. As for its roots? It’s an Igbo word that means “English” but loosely translates as “foreign, grand, or classy.”
From as far back as I can remember, I didn't do things the regular way. I had a way of making my style stand out. Kids my age would cry their eyes out at the sight of clowns, not me, I would smile with all my might at it😂.
From upscaling a simple belt by adding a scarf to it, to literally painting my shoes to match an outfit for church. This trait earned me the pet name Bekee, an endearment for a lovely child with a grand mind.
While brainstorming for a perfect catchy name for my business rebranding, I thought long and hard and spent weeks on name generators to AIs to assist with a name that spoke to me. I tried turning my full name into anagrams but it wasn't working.
I needed a name to kickstart everything, you know what they say, your name is your identity.
I had called it quits one morning when like a lightning rod, it hit me.
Why not use Bekee?
Bekee encompasses me, has ties to my roots and most especially it was my name (nickname) but you get the point.
And that's the story of how my business name was born.
Békéé
You must be wondering why Bekee. What does it mean? How is it pronounced? Well, it’s pronounced “Bay-kay”. As for its roots? It’s an Igbo word that means “English” but loosely translates as “foreign, grand, or classy.”
From as far back as I can remember, I didn't do things the regular way. I had a way of making my style stand out. Kids my age would cry their eyes out at the sight of clowns, not me, I would smile with all my might at it😂.
From upscaling a simple belt by adding a scarf to it, to literally painting my shoes to match an outfit for church. This trait earned me the pet name Bekee, an endearment for a lovely child with a grand mind.
While brainstorming for a perfect catchy name for my business rebranding, I thought long and hard and spent weeks on name generators to AIs to assist with a name that spoke to me. I tried turning my full name into anagrams but it wasn't working.
I needed a name to kickstart everything, you know what they say, your name is your identity.
I had called it quits one morning when like a lightning rod, it hit me.
Why not use Bekee?
Bekee encompasses me, has ties to my roots and most especially it was my name (nickname) but you get the point.
And that's the story of how my business name was born.
Growing up, it was a norm to always have cakes for birthdays. No party was ever complete without one, with the accompanying meals. I remember times when my dad would host his village meetings. It would be a cacophony of noises, shouts and arguments over wrongdoings of different sorts.
But the instant a member would sight the first tray of food, it turned to mild grumblings. By the time the meals were dished, all forms of dispute stopped and the house would be filled with hearty and happy chatters.
It brought unity and nothing tops the satisfaction of seeing their happy faces asking if they could be second servings.
I grew up with these traditions and maintained them. I always have a cake present to celebrate a new age be it a slice of cake or a box of cupcakes.
While waiting to get into college, I would call my sister, who was a student baker and she would always have a tale to tell about her customers. She was either trying to come up with a new recipe or she was trying her hand at a new piping style.
I loved listening to these tales. I loved the challenge it presented and couldn’t wait to join her in school and become a part of her baking business. I couldn't wait for my sis to come home so I tried my hands at baking with her guidance.
To be very honest 😂😂, it wasn't what I expected. Mind you, I had this idea that it would be rosy. My sister, on the other hand, painted a very realistic process that can be stressful without certain tools. I romanticised the whole process and thought it would be a walk in the park.
It wasn’t.
I mixed butter and sugar that day till I couldn't stand the sound of sugar anymore😂😂. Did that deter me? No. I was hell-bent on baking my first-ever cake!
After much fuss, it had creamed enough, the remaining steps went by like a breeze and my cake was ready!
I couldn't keep still. I had actually baked a cake that people could eat. I had to be warned to let the cake cool before cutting into it
I took a fan and got to work, after successfully cooling it, we had to ice it🤦🏻♀. I was exhausted from the rigorous creaming so I left it in my sister's care and only came back after she had iced most of it.
I had never been prouder than in that moment.
I had baked a cake!😂 First trial and no issues, no breaking down the middle or too salty or coarse or stuck to the pan. It was perfect!
A Baker was born that day. (15/4/2017)
The meal preparation came naturally. I was used to assisting my mom in hosting guests, family and friends. I simply took up from where she left off. I love a good gathering like the next person, any reason to have people together to laugh and bond over a plate or two, call me. I'll be there.
7 years and still counting and I still bake and cook. During these seven years, I've been blessed with a benefactor, my lovely mother, who's unrelenting support, financially, morally, and even physically, have been the best part of my baking and cooking journey. I've lost coint of the number of times she had to bail me out or surprised me with a baking equipment.
I may not even have pursued ithe idea fervently if I didn't know that I could always count on my mum and sister if things went crazy. Some may call it luck, but I term it a privilege, one that I'm super grateful for.
And that’s what we’re about. This is Bekee. It's who we are. It's what we stand for.
Growing up, it was a norm to always have cakes for birthdays. No party was ever complete without one, with the accompanying meals. I remember times when my dad would host his village meetings. It would be a cacophony of noises, shouts and arguments over wrongdoings of different sorts.
But the instant a member would sight the first tray of food, it turned to mild grumblings. By the time the meals were dished, all forms of dispute stopped and the house would be filled with hearty and happy chatters.
It brought unity and nothing tops the satisfaction of seeing their happy faces asking if they could be second servings.
I grew up with these traditions and maintained them. I always have a cake present to celebrate a new age be it a slice of cake or a box of cupcakes.
While waiting to get into college, I would call my sister, who was a student baker and she would always have a tale to tell about her customers. She was either trying to come up with a new recipe or she was trying her hand at a new piping style.
I loved listening to these tales. I loved the challenge it presented and couldn’t wait to join her in school and become a part of her baking business. I couldn't wait for my sis to come home so I tried my hands at baking with her guidance.
To be very honest 😂😂, it wasn't what I expected. Mind you, I had this idea that it would be rosy. My sister, on the other hand, painted a very realistic process that can be stressful without certain tools. I romanticised the whole process and thought it would be a walk in the park.
It wasn’t.
I mixed butter and sugar that day till I couldn't stand the sound of sugar anymore😂😂. Did that deter me? No. I was hell-bent on baking my first-ever cake!
After much fuss, it had creamed enough, the remaining steps went by like a breeze and my cake was ready!
I couldn't keep still. I had actually baked a cake that people could eat. I had to be warned to let the cake cool before cutting into it
I took a fan and got to work, after successfully cooling it, we had to ice it🤦🏻♀. I was exhausted from the rigorous creaming so I left it in my sister's care and only came back after she had iced most of it.
I had never been prouder than in that moment.
I had baked a cake!😂 First trial and no issues, no breaking down the middle or too salty or coarse or stuck to the pan. It was perfect!
A Baker was born that day. (15/4/2017)
The meal preparation came naturally. I was used to assisting my mom in hosting guests, family and friends. I simply took up from where she left off. I love a good gathering like the next person, any reason to have people together to laugh and bond over a plate or two, call me. I'll be there.
7 years and still counting and I still bake and cook. During these seven years, I've been blessed with a benefactor, my lovely mother, who's unrelenting support, financially, morally, and even physically, have been the best part of my baking and cooking journey. I've lost coint of the number of times she had to bail me out or surprised me with a baking equipment.
I may not even have pursued ithe idea fervently if I didn't know that I could always count on my mum and sister if things went crazy. Some may call it luck, but I term it a privilege, one that I'm super grateful for.
And that’s what we’re about. This is Bekee. It's who we are. It's what we stand for.
Become a part of our story by experiencing our delicious creations firsthand. Head over to our store and shop for baked goods and meals. Join us on our journey of flavour and passion!
Become a part of our story by experiencing our delicious creations firsthand. Head over to our store and shop for baked goods and meals. Join us on our journey of flavour and passion!
