A cuppa with... Berenice Smith
Get to know our guests and us, our alternative Q&A! We’re catching up with friends, past and present to ask them about the important stuff in life. Y’know… cake, tea and biscuits.
Here’s presenter Berenice talking about scones and living a creative life.
Hello Berenice! Can you tell us more about you and how you came to be a designer?
I live in Cambridge, and I’m the owner of Hello Lovely, an agency offering website, print and branding design. I became freelance in 2013 but I’ve been a designer for many years, mostly working in commercial agencies and book publishers including Penguin, Pearson, and Cambridge University Press. I decided to work for myself after several life events including IVF failure and miscarriages. I was made redundant with 40 colleagues and wanted to gain more design skills, freelancing gave me the flexibility to do that. Before that, I took an MA in graphic design and typography which lead to creating Walk In Our Shoes, which lead to speaking at Fertility Fest where I met Michael and Sarah!
Hello Lovely has won awards from Digital Women, Cambridge Infinitive and Whitefox Publishing. It’s an ethical agency, bringing together my passion for a low carbon life. In my spare time, I create relief prints and make stained glass pieces.
Tell us about your morning
I’m woken up by my rescue dog Molly. I’ll check in on emails, look to see what’s going on in my business networks and reply to any urgent emails from clients. Then I’ll walk Molly. As a solo business, I’m the accountant, social media person - all hats - so there’s always something going on. At any time I can be designing a website, training clients on their sites, designing books or magazines, or creating a brand or logo. No morning is the same. My favourite day is Monday when I try to escape, with my husband and Molly, for a long walk. We are only an hour from the coast so (outside lockdown) we love a beach trip but it’s been lovely pottering around Cambridge, we’re not far from the river so I get my water fix that way!
Sounds good, can we get you a brew?
Yes please, Bird and Blend’s Nuts About You would be lovely.
Would you like a biccy?
Molly would love a rich tea biscuit if you have one?
Do you stop for lunch?
Yes always. It’s my first meal of the day and usually a crunchy seasonal salad or homemade soup with strong everyday tea. If I can, I’ll eat in the garden for a bit of fresh air. Maybe pop the washing on the line and try not to get too distracted by the garden studio where I keep my printing press and stained glass.
How do you wind down?
I always have an afternoon break with Molly. Outside my house is a huge green space so we might say hello to a few neighbours. I have loose Earl Grey brewed it in my late gran’s Woods Berylware teapot with a mismatched Jasmine lid! I prefer to read a book over watching television or, if it’s summer, go out in the garden.
Afternoon tea? What cake can we bake for you?
Scones, please! I love a cream team, jam first in the Cornish way, ideally at the Polpeor cafe on the Lizard point on a stormy day. I also love Portuguese custard tarts but I’m training myself to forget as I have a Portuguese a few streets away!
