Say hai to... Hebe Konditori

For the second instalment in the #HaiSociety journal we got in contact with the vegan pastry chef extraordinaire,  Sarah Hardy, also known under the alias of Hebe Konditori. With her sometimes decadent, sometimes whimsical, always breath-taking  patisserie projects, Sarah has  appealed to  the infant inside  her  thousands of online followers (24.6k and rising!). A venture over to her perfectly curated Instagram feed will leave even the most serious in aesthetic amongst us quite literally like a kid in a candy-shop.  For this shared love of the playful, childish side of life, we couldn't wait to find out more about Sarah.

Keep reading for a dive into Sarah's creative inspirations and a tip-off of the cafe with the most dreamy interior design in all of London...


Hi Sarah....or should we say Hai!

Hey :)

Can you describe what you do?

I’m a cake designer specialising in vegan cakes. I wrote a book earlier this year and I also work as a dessert stylist for advertising and editorial photoshoots.

Photography by   Ellis Parrinder

Where do you consider home? When do you know you are home? 

I feel like I am stuck between London (where I live now) and Yorkshire, where I grew up and where my family live.  I spent the first lockdown up north and it really made me realise how beautiful the area I grew up in is. I still love London but I don’t know if I see myself living here for the rest of my life. But for now It feels like where I’m supposed to be. 

Describe how you feel when you are on a creative Hai? (high) 

It’s great, It always feels as though I’m most creative when I’m not pressured. I think the first lockdown was a good reset for me, even though it came with a lot of stress. Baking and being creative was a great escape from what was going on.

The best, untalked about place in your city? 

I’m not sure if it’s an untalked about place but  I love Marchesi Cafe in Mayfair. I first went to the one in Milan a few years back and they opened the London branch about a year or so ago. The decor is dreamy and they have lots of traditional Italian cakes and dishes. It feels like you’re in another era when you’re in there, like a scene from a Fellini film.

How, or where do you go to find inspiration? 

My inspiration comes from many sources. Film, art and fashion, etc. The film Marie Antoinette  (Dir. Sophia Coppola) was a big influence on my cake style. But I also take inspiration from lots of traditional baking and pastry chefs, including the work of Marie Antoine Carême and there’s a great book called the Lambeth Method which is an amazing guide to intricate piping.  I’m also a big fan of @benny.cake and @haijunggg both on Instagram. 


What do you do when no one is watching? 

Probably dancing and singing around the house to whatever cheesy music I’m enjoying at that moment. 

What’s the feeling fashion gives you? 

I definitely use fashion as a way of expressing my personality and mood, I’m often told I dress like my cakes too (I love a pastel colour).  


Where are you going to take your Hai   next?

On some long autumn walks around South East London and to the supermarket, I guess. Seeing as we won’t be allowed anywhere else for a while. 

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