Zoe Berkeley says becoming a nurse is the best move she ever made – even though she previously ran a thriving cake shop and was author of an acclaimed cookbook.
Zoe Berkeley says becoming a nurse is the best move she ever made – even though she previously ran a thriving cake shop and was author of an acclaimed cookbook.
Zoe, 43, the new Lead Palliative Care Nurse at South Bucks Hospice, says people are often shocked when she tells them of her past, and they question why she changed careers in her mid-30s.
But she says: “I am very proud to be a nurse and have absolutely no regrets about giving up my successful business to go to university again when I was 34 so I could work in healthcare. It’s the best thing I have ever done.
“I had been a cake shop owner for ten years and I enjoyed it, but I did want to do something more meaningful and give something back.”
Part of the reason for the career change was her own experiences of being supported by nurses.
At the time of her career change, Zoe was suffering a period of ill health as a result of endometriosis which led to her requiring five operations. She had also previously spent time in hospital in her teens with stomach problems.
“I have spent a lot of time in hospital and met a lot of amazing nurses who impacted my life,” she said.
London-born Zoe, who now lives in Bucks, originally completed a degree in product development for the fashion industry and worked in fashion and PR from the age of 21 to 24.
She began making cakes after going to see a nutritionist about her own stomach problems.
“I have been gluten and dairy-free for 20 years, and all the problems have gone away. I started making cakes for people with allergies because there were so many different things I couldn’t eat.”
Her cake-making work grew and she began selling at farmers’ markets before opening her own shop in West Hampstead, London, aged just 24. It was called Bake-a-Boo and she employed five staff. Highlights included baking a cake for actor Dwayne Johnson, known as The Rock. The shop included a tea room which was popular for hen parties.
Zoe also has a showbiz claim to fame being the grand-daughter of the late Fawlty Towers actor Ballard Berkeley, who played the Major.
In 2010, she wrote the Bake-a-Boo Bakery Cookbook which she says sold around 50,000 copies. One reviewer on Amazon, where it registers a 4.6 out of 5 score, labelled it ‘the best cake book for wheat & dairy-free recipes’.
But after a decade of success, she stunned friends by giving up the shop. Zoe recalled: “I had run out of steam, had a chance to get out of my lease, and made the crazy decision to just stop. A lot of customers and family friends thought I was mad to give up and be a nurse, when I had a successful business, but for ten years I worked every weekend, didn’t go on holiday - I needed to let go.”
This also coincided with it being the last year of nursing bursaries being offered, she says, so she took the plunge aged 34 and enrolled on a three-year nursing course at Buckinghamshire New University – even though she had previously never done any nursing.
After university, she was employed for two years as a palliative care nurse at Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care. She then went to Wexham Park Hospital as a palliative care nurse – and was promoted to clinical nurse specialist.
She joined South Bucks Hospice – based at Butterfly House in High Wycombe – in March this year after six years’ experience as a nurse.
“My previous life experience has helped me massively – I would never be the same nurse as I am now if I did this when I was 18. I have had ten years of management experience and running a business – life experience is a huge help.
“I knew I wouldn’t be the nurse at the nursing station dreaming of owning a cake shop one day, because I have done it already. I knew I wouldn’t be thinking there is something better out there – I am here because I want to be here.”
Zoe is passionate about her role as a palliative care nurse. “We are all going to die – and we all want to have a good death and what you want at the end of your life is important. It’s about giving people dignity – you can’t fix them but you can make the best out of a really difficult situation.”
She admits to being ‘wowed’ by Butterfly House when she first applied for the job as Lead Palliative Care Nurse.
“As a community resource, Butterfly House is a lifeline for some people, or the missing link – we tie things together for people a bit more. Everybody is so lovely and friendly and I think even if you just walked in the door off the street, you would immediately be invited and welcomed.”
She added: “My dad sadly died in February with Dementia and Amyloidosis and he would have benefited so much from a place like Butterfly House. So, starting here so soon after losing my dad made me firstly appreciate what it has to offer more, but also has given me a unique perspective as a palliative care nurse and also as the relative of a patient.”
