Lino uses his phone and memory to follow recipes as he takes on the challenge of running his own bakery.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —
For Lino, reading a recipe takes more than a quick glance.
The Albuquerque baker is legally blind and says he cannot read recipes — even with glasses. Instead, he takes pictures of them on his phone and zooms in. He relies on his memory, often learning a recipe after seeing it a few times.
Now, Lino is pursuing a longtime goal of owning a bakery. When the place where he worked closed, he decided to take it over and reopen Bumble Bee Bakery.
“I always wanted a bakery,” Lino said.
He added that changing jobs and adjusting to another kitchen would be difficult, so he decided to take over the space and try running it himself.
Lino said technology helps him work, but baking while legally blind remains challenging.
“It’s tough. It’s not easy to be legally blind and being a baker,” he said.
Opening the bakery brought challenges outside the kitchen, too. Katelyn Turnbow said the process of completing paperwork and waiting for approvals took longer than expected.
Lino said his vision is worsening as he gets older, but for now, he hopes to continue baking for a little while longer.
“It’s hard. It’s not easy, but I’m here, you know,” he said.
