In conversation with Sophie Mort

Over the past few months at the Skinny Bakery we have been working in collaboration with some fantastic people. Many of these have been in the form of Ambassadors who have signed up to Skinny Bakery’s new Ambassador programme. We have had a overwhelming response to this initiative, from people in all walks of life including health consultants, actresses, and recipe developers. We’ve been delighted to work with these fascinating people and thought you would be just as interested in their stories as we are.

One such person is the highly talented Sophie Mort. She works as an independent photographer whilst also coming up with her own healthy bakes in her spare time. She is an avid blogger and always keen to impart tips, tricks and support for aspiring bloggers.

Read on for a Q and A conversation between Sophie Mort and Emily O’Reilly, Skinny Bakery’s Head of Marketing.

E – Hi Sophie, thank you so much for taking the time to answer some questions. To begin with : You have a number of strings to your bow, from being a photographer, to a blogger, to a creator of low-calorie treat recipes. How do you manage all these roles and which is the most enjoyable for you?

S – A lot of them naturally came together, which is how I ended up being able to showcase them all. I’ve always loved food and product photography, and so when I started my blog I loved the challenge that it gave me to photograph these products whenever I wanted to write about them. It’s made me a better photographer and has definitely helped me to adapt to different situations. Photography is always my main love, but blogging and creating my recipes are very much an extension to that, and they’ve definitely helped keep my spirits up through lockdown.

E – Which role do you find the most challenging?

S – I find the recipes quite difficult. I’ve lost two stone this year and found a real love for fitness and health, but I’m a firm believer that treating yourself is so important to having a sustainable and healthy diet. I wanted to find ways to adapt classic recipes to make them a little lighter. It’s very much a try and try again process, there’s a lot of recipes that I haven’t shared because they simply didn’t work, but I guess that’s the fun of it.

E – I noticed from your website that you were an actress in your younger years. What made you choose to switch the side of the camera you appear on?

S – I was professionally acting from when I was 18 years old and straight away I found that I was placed into a box. There was absolutely no control on my side, it was a lot of waiting for the phone to ring and whilst creatively I absolutely loved working, I’m a very proactive person and I wanted a creative career where I felt like I had the control. I started my blog to fill in the gaps where I wasn’t working, and when I picked up a camera for the first time, I never put it down and that was that.

E – You mention one line of your professional photography is as a wedding photographer, has there been any special days that have stood out from the crowd?

I actually did a wedding last week that was so moving. The venue only allowed 6 guests but in a way, that didn’t matter. It was so intimate and beautiful, there were family members on Zoom and the Bride and Groom had been in a long distance relationship for 6 years and so it was just a really beautiful moment of two people coming together despite every 2020 obstacle and it was so moving.

E – What inspired you to start blogging about your career and passions and do you have any advice for an aspiring blogger?

S – It started as me simply looking for another creative outlet purely as a hobby that would stop me feeling as frustrated as I did with the lack of control that I felt like I had over my life. Once people started to enjoy what I was writing, I felt like I could open up more and be more honest and with that I wanted to share any tips and advice that I could. I know that a lot of people, particularly younger people, can feel lost like I did and I wanted to show that things will always fall into place, you just have to keep trying out different avenues and finding what you love and clinging to it.

My biggest advice for aspiring bloggers is to just do it. For about a year I kept putting it off, and panicking too much about what people thought but do it for you. Don’t write about what you think people want to read, write about what you want to write, and naturally you’ll attract your kind of people. It’s a very fun and creative outlet, and you never know where it will take you, you just have to be consistent and be you. There’s also this belief that you have to write in one specific niche ie beauty, fashion, food etc and that’s not true at all. People don’t fit into one category and your blog doesn’t have to either!

E – What’s your go to comfort food for this time of year? Which of your low-calorie bake recipes are you most drawn to at this time of year?

S – I have such a sweet tooth and so this year I’ve definitely become an encyclopaedia of low-calorie treats! Mini gingerbreads, digestive thins, low cal hot chocolate etc. It’s all about the balance. My favourite recipe for this time of year is definitely my strawberry and white chocolate banana bread recipe. It’s such an easy and firm favourite in our household. What I love most about it is that you can make it as muffins, or as a loaf, and you can change it up seasonally. I like it with raspberry and dark chocolate, strawberries and white chocolate, or blueberries and milk chocolate for example.

Mmmm mmmm mmmm!

E – What inspired you to become a Skinny Bakery Ambassador?

S – I’d never found a bakery that catered to low-calorie treats yet didn’t taste low-calorie. There’s nothing more disappointing than trying something because it’s ‘healthy’ but then it tastes exactly that. I absolutely love supporting independent businesses too and they give options to people who are trying to be healthier which can be so hard when you’re starting out. I just love everything that they stand for!

E – Which Skinny Bakery treat is your favourite

I absolutely love the meringue cookies, they’re so light and tasty. I’m also a sucker for anything chocolatey so their bombs, pearls and brownies are really up there too. I’m also dying to try their gingerbread and mince pies, I’ve yet to find any low-calorie options of these and I know that they’ll be so tasty!

Skinny Bakery Meringues as part of a chocolaty Eton Mess!

E – Finally, tell us about somebody that really inspires you, be it a public figure, family member or photographer, and why?

S – My mum inspires me massively. She was a nurse for decades, and then damaged her back and developed a chronic illness which meant that she had to give up her nursing job which meant so much to her, and so she worked in an office instead to support us all. Last year she decided that she wanted to go back to nursing, and then found herself working in this pandemic. It’s mentally hard for her, and she comes home in a lot of pain but her resilience is incredible. My Dad is a nurse too and my sister is training to be a paramedic and I have nothing but the upmost respect for our NHS. They’re amazing.

If you would like to find out more about Sophie Mort and check out some of her lovely recipes then you can find her at sophiemortblogs.co.uk .

If you would like to become an Ambassador for Skinny Bakery, like Sophie, then information and sign up form can be found here : www.mariellas.co.uk/become-an-ambassador-with-skinny-bakery

Stay posted for the next in our series of ” In conversation with…”