5 Questions with Nick Makrides of The Scran Line

Meet Raptive creator Nick Makrides, founder of The Scran Line. Nick is a talented pastry chef, food technician, and visual creator who continues to captivate audiences with his vibrant, imaginative recipes. He creates his delicious meals and desserts under the watchful eye of every parent’s harshest critic: a toddler.

1. Have you ever had a memorable moment with a reader?

I can’t pinpoint just one memorable moment. I love hearing from all of my readers, but as the parent of a toddler in peak toddler mode, I love hearing from other parents who tell me their kids loved my recipe. If I can make a parent’s day easier, help them discover a recipe that their kid loves, that really makes my day.

2. What do you think the internet would be like without creator websites like yours?

It would be the equivalent of eating boiled cardboard. When I’m looking for recipes to cook for my family, I jump online. I rarely open up a cookbook. The only one that has a permanent spot in my kitchen is Dinner from Nagi at RecipeTin Eats.

What stands out to me when I’m looking at a recipe is technique. I love seeing how people make the same thing using different techniques. I love seeing a traditional recipe done differently. You can’t get that in any way other than on a food blog. They’re ever-changing, they’re experimental and expressive and those different techniques show you who that creator is. Their perspective, their tastes and preferences—it’s honestly one of the best ways to relate to someone.

3. What is it about The Scran Line that audiences connect with? 

It’s probably a shared passion for making desserts that will impress their family and friends. I think they also love the satisfaction and almost meditative state of baking. From start to finish, there are certain steps you need to busy your mind with. Sometimes you learn something new, but you always end up with something delicious in the end. I think people see the photos, the step-by-step walkthrough, and read me talking about all the things I learned about the recipe and that excites them to try it!

4. How do you feel about AI?

I want AI to be a tool we use to help enhance our lives. It’s in its infancy, but AI is different to other innovations. Its nature is to evolve so I don’t think the infancy stage will be around for long. It’s already proving to be a massive issue that will disrupt multiple industries and that’s because the tech companies creating and working on it are completely unregulated.

Using ChatGPT as a tool to help me write has been great. I didn’t go to school to learn how to write for food blogs. I’m not an expert, and so in that sense it has absolutely helped me.

At the same time, when you build a product like Google Search you shouldn’t be able to come in and steal information—without any legal consequence at all—from a blog and present it to a user as a summary from your shiny new product.

5. Family, food, and design are three of your biggest passions. How do you bring them together in your business?

I have a background in design and with that comes a focus on visual intent. What am I trying to visually communicate? That design background, and needing to communicate something with extreme clarity and intent also helps me when it comes to writing for the blog.

In terms of family and food, those two things are the same to me. I grew up with a mum and Yiayia (Greek grandma) who raised me. Food was always in the picture. It’s what we talked about, what we shared together and how we bonded. That’s really where it all started for me.

Today though, family and food has a slightly different meaning. Having a toddler means trying to find a way to cook a recipe that won’t end up on the floor or have her screaming for yellow pasta (pasta with butter). What can I make for this little human who hasn’t learned how delicious food can be yet and wants to hurry up and eat so she can go back to jumping on the couch while Frozen plays in the background? It’s a question I ask myself daily.

Get all of Nick’s gorgeous dessert recipes at The Scran Line, and follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more sweet inspiration!