Cake stall tips

katiecake_2

Hi everyone,

I'm just setting up a cake business and will be doing my first cake stall at a garden centre fair - if anyone has done this kind of thing have you got any tips? Things like what will sell (I have plastic wedge cases and sporks for slices of big cakes, or maybe whole cakes will be better, or cupcakes...) what to charge, etc etc. I'm also wondering about how to present it all - I have a cupcake stand but nothing to raise up the full cakes, does that matter??

Thanks!!

tanith

It might help if you take a look at this....http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/startingup.pdf

katiecake_2

Thanks, I have that document. I'm looking more for tips on the actual stall than general legalities of the business - I've been trading for a little while just doing bespoke cakes so I'm ok with that side of things, just the fair I'm unfamiliar with

tanith

katiecake wrote: »

Thanks, I have that document. I'm looking more for tips on the actual stall than general legalities of the business - I've been trading for a little while just doing bespoke cakes so I'm ok with that side of things, just the fair I'm unfamiliar with

When I was involved with cake stalls years ago we used small closed cardboard boxes under a table cloth to make a sort of stepped shelves at back the table and put our larger cakes some presliced and some whole onto that and then did trays of cupcakes to be purchased individually . Also had some boxes to hand if people wanted more than 1 or 2.. a selection of big and small cakes would be best but as for prices it depends on your clientel have you see what they charge for cupcakes nowadays? Not sure if you would get away with it on a stall though.. I wouldn't pay more than 75p for a slice of cake or cupcake but I know people that pay £2 or £3 for them .

katiecake_2

Boxes under the cloth - brill idea thanks!! Such a simple thing but not sure I'd have thought of it!

midnightraven3

why not make your own cake stands for the bigger cakes
costs about £2 each and look lovely

shows you how here

http://video.about.com/budgetdecorating/DIY-Cake-Stand.htm

i think it looks better if you use 2 pieces the same colour, but just IMO
CS will be your friend for this

midnightraven3

should have also said

i did 6 of these for my mums guild tea afternoon
they were having a daffodil tea to raise money for cancer

i got plain glass plates from wilkos
and a sundae set of 6 glasses, again just plain
i put fake daffodils in the bottom of the sundae glasses before glueing the plate on, they looked nice

but i really wanted to put something fun & colourful like jelly beans in
i dont know how long they would last though, but again fun & cheap

katiecake_2

Another good idea - might use a combination of the two if I can find some glass plates, I think same colour would look better too and I love the idea of the jelly beans!

moonpenny

Could you use the plastic picnic plates / glasses that are around just now?
Don't know if they would work the same as glass as you would have to make sure it wouldn't topple over as not as weighty as glass. Just a thought!

Gingerbiscuit_2

Might be worth doing some biscuits type things for kids? If you have younger children its easier to give them biscuit to hold and munch on than a mess sticky piece of cake that an adult can handle.

katiecake_2

Moonpenny - good idea I'll have a look!

Gingerbiscuit - I just had the same thought and ordered some clear fronted paper bags for that very reason!!!

Thank you both!