Leeds TikTok star My Mini Bakes takes viral channel onto CBBC's Saturday Mash-Up in miniature cook-off

My Mini Bakes, which is run by an anonymous creator who found fame making miniature versions of popular dishes, has had a whirlwind four years.

The graphic designer recently won a Guinness World Record and has launched campaigns in collaboration with brands including L'Oreal and Disney, all while spawning huge crowds for her regular livestreams.

It came after discovering her niche in lockdown, shooting step-by-step videos of downsized dishes like avocado on toast and salmon poke bowls.

She prepares the mini meals using tiny knives on pocket-sized chopping boards and in micro frying pans, taking requests from viewers along the way.

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In her latest appearance, she cooked up a storm alongside puppet monster Stanley from CBBC’s popular ‘Saturday Mash-Up!’ as the pair aimed to make the best ever mini sandwich.

She said: “I was approached earlier this year about doing a little cook with Stanley. It was amazing!

“The BBC crew are an incredibly bunch of talented people. You don't realise how long these things take, just to make a three-minute video. It blew my mind when they came to film.”

Describing her TikTok launch in 2020, she said: “I started cooking mini versions of food just to bring a little joy to people's day, basically.

“My followers seemed to really enjoy the mini food thing, they think it's comforting to watch, or nostalgic.”

‘Minnie’, who previously worked as a graphic designer in the wedding industry, said that work started to dry up when lockdown restrictions were brought in as people could not get married.

But thankfully, her discovery of TikTok provided an outlet to start a new career. Now, she makes a living through advertising and partnerships, and has worked with huge brands.

She continued: “Because of my design background, I'm able to create all the packaging myself too, so there are no boundaries. It’s been a great month for me, because I did an ad with L'Oreal, when a new Nyx product came out. That was a dream come true.

“I also did a Disney Marvel ad when they brought out the new Ant Man film - they wanted a shrunken cake! I had to pinch myself.”

Last year, ‘Minnie’ won a Guinness World Record after appearing before a live studio audience in Milan, where she was asked to cook and assemble 20 miniature burgers in under two minutes.

With a reach of more than 40 million people across her social media profiles, she talked about the future: “I’m really looking to push the brand and take it to the next step. But I always ask my followers what they'd like to see next. It's a really nice little community.”