Cake Stall

kgpuk

Can anyone give any advice please. My wife makes fantastic cakes and is looking to get back into work once our youngest starts school in September. I'm trying to persuade her that a few cake stalls at craft fairs may bring some mortgage money in. She wants to do something that won't over commit her time but isn't sure where to start or sure if this could be operated from home. She's previously worked in hotels/restaurants and has recently updated her kitchen hygiene certificate. Any ideas or knowledge would be great. Thanks

Sallys_Savings

I think it would be a great idea if thats what she wants to do.
It means that committment would only be when she wishes it to be, so you can all be flexible.
There are people in my area that go to craft fayres and did have a website too...sending cakes and traybakes through the post as gifts.
I also know of someone who makes just christmas cakes every year and takes cakes along to craft fayres and then makes them to order to. Starting from a single person cake (very popular she says) to a huge cake.
A great idea that one of them had was to have a magnetic sign made to put on their car doors.
Both people have trays of tasters on the front of their stall uummm not that I've tasted lots
I'm not too sure if you have to have your kitchen checked out or not though..I'm guessing that would depend on the scale she wishes to do it? Perhaps that needs checking out.

How about selling at farmers markets?...use some local free range eggs/local butter or something??

Its worth getting in the local paper too, ours often feature local businesses. Perhaps your wife could donate a cake (if she makes birthday/wedding/fancy cakes) as a prize for someone to win in the newspaper..you know answer some really easy question lol. That should promote her a bit and also ask for a photo in the paper the following week handing the cake over?
Good Luck

Sugar_Coated_Owl

Could your wife start a small business and make childrens birthday cakes or cakes for any other ocassion from home? She could advertise locally to get customers.

I'm not sure what qualifications/certificates you need to sell food that you've made from home but you did mention she has a kitchen hygiene certificate, would this be enough?

Astaroth

Certainly look into the hygene bit - I am sure that your actual kitchen needs to be up to standards rather than having had personal training.

If she truly enjoys doing it then it can be a very good earner. My mother did it part time when I was a kid but she ended up hating it before the end of week 1 after making her 12th fruit cake.

Lara

If you are selling cakes as a profitable business then you do have to have the local H&H standards people come in and esure your kitchen is up to standard, i.e. no carpets on floor and no animals allowed in there when baking. She already has the H&H certificate so that's a big plus.

If she does make celebration cakes then I would go along with the suggestion of other people that making a cake for one person usually leads to many others, especially if she makes children's cakes. One word of warning though, tell her not to make the cakes to break even or at a loss just to get some business because people will want that price all the time!

When she makes any cakes tell her to put a small card inside the box stating her name and telephone number that way people can easily contact her. If she decides on a business name then she could make some cards and put these inside as well as put in local stores advertising what she does.

Good Luck to her I hope it goes well.

wigginsmum

There's a warmhearted novel on this very subject, with some excellent business tips:

Eat Cake