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Cash from Baking??

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  • esmer
    esmer Posts: 1,444 Forumite
    stokegal wrote: »
    Hi All

    After reading this thread for inspiration - I'm contacting my local farmers market tomorrow and was wondering for some advice. How many cupcakes do you normally sell at this kind of event? What do you charge? - I wasnks thinking that i didnt want to commit to anything if I couldnt match the demand - I work fully time so would be doing this part time until I'm brave enough to jump into it properly


    Thanks
    Stokegal x

    Found this for you HTH
    Bluefire wrote: »
    Firstly, well done for getting yourself a stall sorted! I'm certainly no expert having only done 3 stalls, but I just thought I'd pass on what little advice I can!

    Obviously you won't know for sure what amount of cupcakes to bake until you've finished your first market. Personally I would err on the side of caution; unless you've got somewhere to offload unsold cupcakes afterwards perhaps it's better to bake fewer for your first stall and sell out than make too many of have loads left. After all, if you're going to be doing this regularly then as long as you make sure you've covered the cost of your stall & your ingredients on the first go, then you can increase your quantities from there once you've got more of an idea of what you can sell.

    Just to give you an idea, my first stall was at a carnival with about 2500 people attending. I made just over 100 cupcakes and was one of 2 cupcake stalls attending, and came home with 12 (which was in part due to the fact it rained & even though the stall was undercover everything still got wet plus the crowds died down rapidly after that) Second stall was a farm family fun day with about 300 people, made 75 & sold out after 3 hours (should have made more!) The farmers' market I've recently done is only held 4 times a year & is quite popular, not sure how many people were there but I made 148 cupcakes & came home with 10.

    At the end of the day the most important things to know is how much on average each cake is costing you to make, and how much profit you make from each cake you sell (including any packaging costs) I sell mine in the form of '1 for £... 2 for £... or 4 for £...' from that I worked out the minimum amount of profit I make per cake & can very quickly say 'I've made this many, it's cost me bla bla to make them and if I sell them all I'll make a minimum of this much profit.'

    I hope that makes some sense! Also make sure you get yourself some business cards printed up, in case anybody wants to make an order for a birthday or wedding!
    Saving 2.00 coins
    Grocerys set to 40.00 pw
    Being Thrifty
  • stokegal
    stokegal Posts: 946 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Thanks Esmer. That was really useful, I visited the local market and was told no in the nicest possible way. I'm sure the Market manager took one look at my son and my lack of wedding ring and she actually shuddered. That serves me right for going to the posh part of town :)

    Back to the drawing board with cOntacting the Local EHO... Just have to remember how much I actually want this.
  • babyplum
    babyplum Posts: 301 Forumite
    Debt-free and Proud!
    So excited! I have been asked to make a cake like this:
    http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1425089

    I have it all worked out in my mind and think i should be able to do it ok. The figures are bought ones anyway so i won't have to try and model them. Phew! ;)

    I'm going to change it slightly though as she doesn't want the 3 tombliboos on it and would like a big number 2 and her daughter's name on it too. I love how the name is done on this one so i'm gonna try and give it a go:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/itsacakething/5000869074/in/photostream/
    I'm FINALLY debt free! DFW Long Hauler #227
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  • esmer
    esmer Posts: 1,444 Forumite
    I got a NO from EHO, if you go further back in these posts you will see a kind EHO officer posted some advice, which should help as well. I only do it for friends and my work. They were getting the cakes for free but now, the price of everything, they dont mind paying, it covers my ingredients. I charge them a quid a cake :)
    Saving 2.00 coins
    Grocerys set to 40.00 pw
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  • esmer
    esmer Posts: 1,444 Forumite
    babyplum wrote: »
    So excited! I have been asked to make a cake like this:
    http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1425089

    I have it all worked out in my mind and think i should be able to do it ok. The figures are bought ones anyway so i won't have to try and model them. Phew! ;)

    I'm going to change it slightly though as she doesn't want the 3 tombliboos on it and would like a big number 2 and her daughter's name on it too. I love how the name is done on this one so i'm gonna try and give it a go:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/itsacakething/5000869074/in/photostream/


    Cakes are amazing, and you will do it with your eyes closed ;0)

    I had a look at the second link and the cake pops are cool :)
    Saving 2.00 coins
    Grocerys set to 40.00 pw
    Being Thrifty
  • karenccs67
    karenccs67 Posts: 1,088 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Debt-free and Proud!
    Bought a new cooker today... at long last, our existing one is on its last legs ! new cooker has an extra wide main oven so i should be able to get cake tins side by side now instead of one at a time, just got to wait until 3 Dec for delivery, cant wait.
    ***Dont save what is left after spending, spend what is left after saving***
  • hayley11
    hayley11 Posts: 7,627 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Those cakepops are SO pretty on the second link, really love them and the box they're in, beautifully displayed. Those cakes are awesome too, I hope to be half that good one day!
    :heart: Think happy & you'll be happy :heart:
    I :heart2: my doggies
  • Laneyboo wrote: »
    Just stumbled across this thread and thought id ask a couple of questions as you all seem very knowledgable!!

    I am in scotland so this might affect any answers im looking for!

    I have been given the opportunity to sell my cupcakes at a local food market at the weekend (this would be my 1st time at a market, have done school fairs and galas etc without any thought of registering) and have enquired with environmental health whether i have to be a registered food business to have a stall.. they say i do. (:undecided i read on http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/scotfarmersmarket.pdf that if the market is registered by the organiser then stalls provided by them need not be licensed, is this not the case then ??)

    Also there is someone else who ive seen in a shopping centre selling cupcakes to take away and eat as is (exactly what i want to do!) yet i have just been told by an EHO that i need food labels stating everything on all cakes.. not to question them but really? i cant remember the last time i bought a cupcake that had ingredients listed, even from a bakers :-/

    Lastly, if i register my home as being a food business premises do i incur business rates?

    Its really put a bit of a downer on what i had thought would be a fantastic opportunity so if anyone could give any info to help it'd be much appreciated.

    :A
    i

    i too am in scotland -i have been told and its also in the food standards agency leaflets that you should request, great info,if you are baking and selling direct to the public then no labels are needed as you are on hand to answer any questions regarding ingredients or if you have staff they should be versed in what is in them. also what kind of licence - check your local council website you will probably find there is no licence that covers your business - look at the definitions a street trader is the closest and it is the person organising the market that needs the licence as far as i can see. as long a you are inspected and registered as a business with EH then that should be sufficient. p.m. me with which area you are in and i'll have a look too for your area
    skintbint x
    here's tae us, wha's like us - fell few and and they're a deid"
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  • babyplum wrote: »
    So excited! I have been asked to make a cake like this:
    http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1425089

    I have it all worked out in my mind and think i should be able to do it ok. The figures are bought ones anyway so i won't have to try and model them. Phew! ;)

    I'm going to change it slightly though as she doesn't want the 3 tombliboos on it and would like a big number 2 and her daughter's name on it too. I love how the name is done on this one so i'm gonna try and give it a go:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/itsacakething/5000869074/in/photostream/

    Love the cake babyplum, I'm sure you'll do it justice (and then some!!) - hope you're charging more than £20 this time ;)...

    Following on from Stokegals questions, has anyone got any novel ideas as to how to package cupcakes at a Christmas Fair? I don't really want to go down the cupcake box route as they're really gonna eat into any profit I might make, but equally I guess I can't just dole out several cupcakes with no packaging at all - all suggestions welcome :)

    And how many flavours do you all think I should go with? I have a huge list of ones I'd like to do, but I'm thinking a max of maybe 6 might be wise as I'm doing a few other things too?

    I'd really appreciate any opinions, I'm spending so long deciding what to bake and then what to put it in I'm beginning to think I'll never actually get into the kitchen!!!
  • esmer
    esmer Posts: 1,444 Forumite
    have you tried making a cupcake box, get a template from google? There is one I found but they wanted money for it, and I have been trying to replicate it so I can have cupcake box. I did see single cupcake tubs on ebay, again it eats into profit. I dont do markets, not sure what the others do.

    again for flavours, i would not do too many, think of favourites, and go with maybe 4 different ones. just a suggestion :)

    Sainsburys do a box that holds 4 cakes in a pack of two for 1.79, you could add that onto your cakes or if they want a box charge them for it.??

    hope this helps......
    Saving 2.00 coins
    Grocerys set to 40.00 pw
    Being Thrifty
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