Aahana Swrup
Nick Green’s gripping documentary ‘Con Mum‘ unravels the story of a chef who finds himself reuniting with his biological mother after 45 years, only to find himself stuck in a devastating situation. Graham Hornigold, a pastry chef from London, found his life turned upside down after his paths crossed with Dionne, a woman who identifies as his biological mother whom he had never known. Thus, after learning she only has six months left to live, the son dutifully sticks by her side, indulging in her lavish lifestyle.
All this time, the woman showers him with promises of a lucrative inheritance. However, down the line, certain truths come to light that reveal the chaotic reality of the unbelievable situation. The documentary effectively paints a troubling image of everything that went down between Hornigold and his long-lost mother. Although the mayhem of this unexpected reunion had lasting repercussions on the chef’s life, it hasn’t deterred him from earnestly pursuing his dreams.
Graham Hornigold Fell Victim to a Financially and Emotionally Draining Plot
In 2020, Graham Hornigold was living his best life. He had achieved significant recognition in his career as a pastry chef, and his Longboys bakery was on a successful trajectory. Similarly, his relationship with his former partner, Heather Kaniuk, was at an all-time high as the couple was looking forward to the birth of their son. Around the same time, Dionne Marie Hanna, also known as Theresa Haton Mahmud, and a multitude of other names came into the chef’s life. She claimed to be his mother—someone Hornigold had never known—and seemed to have all the information to prove it as well. Initially, their reunion arrived as an unexpected miracle in the chef’s life.
Hornigold comes from a tumultuous childhood with a father he describes as abusive and a long-standing absence of a mother. Consequently, meeting Dionne and instantly forming a connection with her was a source of much joy. Nonetheless, soon enough, things started to go south. The chef’s mother claimed to be the illegitimate child of royalty from the Southeast Asian nation Brunei, who had lucrative inheritances and business accruements. Furthermore, she told Hornigold and his former partner that she had terminal cancer, which left her with only a few months left to live. As such, on top of showering the couple with gifts, she also promised to leave her son with her multi-million-dollar inheritance.
Consequently, on the heels of his son’s birth, Hornigold became involved in days and weeks of international travel, luxurious hotel stays, and meetings with lawyers and bankers. However, suspiciously enough, these meetings seemed to lead nowhere. Additionally, although Dionne paid for her lavish lifestyle sometimes, her expensive proclivities also led her son to accumulate more than 300,000 dollars in debt. Eventually, after Hornigold managed to overlook the emotional brainwashing, he discovered that Dionne—though his actual biological mother—had essentially lied about everything else, including her cancer. Thus, the chef realized his mother is a con artist who turned her tricks onto him as well.
Graham Hornigold Aspires to be an Involved Parent in His Son’s Life
The aftermath of Dionne’s brief entrance into the life of her son, Graham Hornigold, left a significant impact on the latter. Around a year after their first reunion, she returned to Malaysia and attempted to apologize to the chef over the phone. Since then, the duo haven’t spoken to each other. Today, Hornigold stands firm in his belief that the woman never actually loved him and can’t find it in himself to muster any love for her beyond what he feels is owed for bringing him into this world. Nonetheless, these days, he prefers to think of her as simply Dionne and not as someone he could call his mother.
Even though Hornigold’s former partner, Heather Kaniuk, attempted to go to the police, it bore no real result. Since Dionne is related to the chef, her actions can’t legally be labeled a fraud. As such, the family has had just to accept the fallout of the entire situation. Reportedly, Hornigold had to seek out professional help to deal with the mental and emotional repercussions of Dionne’s betrayal. On the other hand, his relationship with Kaniuk—which crumbled during the difficult situation—has fizzled out. Therefore, the couple had separated for now, with Kaniuk living in New Zealand with their son.
Although Hornigold misses his son terribly, he continues to maintain a close relationship with him through video calls. Furthermore, he hopes to pay him a visit as soon as his financial situation stabilizes. “I won’t let it (the incident with Dionne) affect him (Hornigold’s son) in the sense that he won’t see his dad,” the chef told The Guardian. “I’m going to be a big part of his life.”
Graham Hornigold Runs a Thriving Pâtisserie Business Today
Even though Graham Hornigold’s time with Dionne put him in a significant amount of debt that he is still clearing up, the chef continues to move forward with his life and career. Today, he continues to serve as the Director of Longboys, the long donuts and coffee business that he and Heather Kaniuk founded. The company has notably grown over the past few years since its launch in the UK in 2019. As a result, it now boasts physical shops in Borough Yards, King’s Cross, Liverpool Street, and Market Halls Canary Wharf on top of its original store in Boxpark Wembley. Furthermore, Longboys also partakes in pop-up shops and other events to remain connected with their community.
Most recently, the company also collaborated successfully with UK’s Wingfest. Hornigold is also the founder and director of Smart Pâtisserie, a Hospitality and Pâtisserie consultancy service, which he oversees with Kaniuk. In 2023, the company acquired a food and beverage service, Pretty Sweet, which also promises to open exciting new avenues for the pastry chef in the industry. As such, Hornigold’s career continues to thrive. Thus, the chef even made an appearance at British Baker’s The Artisan Collective 2025 event to guide attendees through a baking lesson. Ultimately, despite the hardships he has faced, Hornigold—who currently resides in the UK—continues to strive toward an extraordinary life.
