A mother from Tipton has revealed how baking transformed her mental health, improving her condition by 90 percent after a life-changing moment. Rachael Vitins, 44, discovered the therapeutic power of baking when a worker at her cafe retired. She said: 'As I baked a cake in my kitchen, the voices in my head stopped and I felt so good.'
Rachael, who has battled mental health issues since she was 17, will open The Brownie Bakery and Wine Bar in Chelmsley Wood next month with her husband Dave Walker. She stressed that mental health remains a taboo subject for older generations. 'I was brought up in an era where you sucked it up and you moved on,' she explained.
Now making up to 50 trays of brownies daily, Rachael finds the baking process helps silence her inner struggles. 'My voices had gone and it kept making me happy,' she said. The entrepreneur hopes her story will inspire others facing similar challenges and encourage greater understanding of mental health issues in older adults.
Rachael described her bakery and wine bar as 'going back to your nans' with a taste of home on the menu. The venture represents a new chapter for the family, combining her passion for baking with a welcoming community space.
