Spoilt wedding Cake

Fosterdog

waamo wrote: »

If that's correct I wonder how much a professional baker would charge to do the job, well professionally?

I'm not sure which page of which thread but I'm sure someone posted a link to a professional wedding cake bake/designer that had a guide price of a four tier cake as £900 if I read it correctly. Therefor OP only paid a third if what a professional would charge to do the job.

I know a number of "hobby bakers" and the £300 for a wedding cake sounds about right for hobby level, although they to tend to be more elaborate designs.

A four tier cake isn't usually the norm is it? Every wedding I've ever been to has been 2-3 tiers, it is possible that the hobby baker has never done one before and didn't quite account for the extra weight and instability while travelling.

I agree that a partial refund should be due but after seeing the damage £80 should be more than enough.

waamo

Thanks Fosterdog. It puts things into perspective. Whilst terribly sad for the OP they chose to have an amateur do a job that required a professional.

If it was such a vital component of the wedding then it should have been done by a professional and an appropriate price paid.

LilElvis

waamo wrote: »

If that's correct I wonder how much a professional baker would charge to do the job, well professionally?

If th OP were to take it as far as a small claim several factors would influence any award. Did the OP consume the cake? It sounds like they did so a full refund is a none starter, some value has been had from the cake. The OP would be expected, at minimum, to pay for the ingredients and overheads for the goods consumed.

Next the quality of work. Is this a professional working to a professional standard or an enthusiastic amateur? It's been suggested the latter.

In short oh dear.

In one post the OP says that the cake was served as "desert" (the spelling made me remember it) which sounds as though the majority must have been consumed.

I live in the same area as the OP and there are no bricks and mortar shops that I've ever seen in Milton Keynes which would do custom wedding cakes. However she could have ordered a cake from Waitrose or Marks and Spencers (of which there are 3), either ready decorated or "plain" to decorate yourself.

I somehow doubt the OP will contribute further as we haven't been as "supportive" as the bridezilla forum, despite the fact that many of those who have responded here have been brides themselves.

angryparcel

Pollycat wrote: »

A post on one of the other threads - FTR not by the OP - refers to the cake maker as 'a hobby baker'.

The OP says on this thread:



It really doesn't sound like a professional baker.

I've also read that she transported the cake ready assembled.
Can you imagine driving anywhere with a 4 tier wedding cake in the back?

but the OP stated

home business with food safety and the ratings etc.

which would mean the baker registered with Local Authority as a professional baker otherwise they would not be food rated

OlliesDad

I'm curious as to how this baker is not a professional? They charge a considerable sum for their services, they are registered with the local authorities.. It sounds like a professional to me.

What somebody else charges is irrelevant in the same way you can't say Ford aren't professional as Ferrari are 3 times the price. If the seller advised a price for a particular product then that's what they should have provided.

Again I will confirm though, I feel £80 is fair.

angryparcel

Another clue that reflects the price is

home business

so they have no expensive commercial premises with all the overheads like rates, rent, utilities etc., so they can charge less, does not make them less professional.
in the pics i would say it is clear the icing broke while remove all the supports

POPPYOSCAR

waamo wrote: »

Thanks Fosterdog. It puts things into perspective. Whilst terribly sad for the OP they chose to have an amateur do a job that required a professional.

If it was such a vital component of the wedding then it should have been done by a professional and an appropriate price paid.

I have to agree.

It looks like a very amateur job to me by an inexperienced person.

Anoneemoose

I make cakes as a hobby (would have been professional if it wasn't for having to stop working completely) and after looking at the pics on the other site, I have to say that the standard of work isn't that great in general and is reflective of the £300 price tag for a four tier cake. Most of the cakers I know would charge probably at least £400 upwards depending on the details and decorations. The finish wasn't flawless for a start but as OP isn't complaining about that specifically, it's probably something they were aware of when ordering. As in they would have seen the standard of the caker's work prior to ordering.

I am on lots of cake groups and generally, as long as you're prepared, as in let the cake settle and set up for 24 hours prior to delivery, they're usually ok. I wouldn't transport 4 tiers stacked though, I would do it in 2 halves and assemble at the venue. All of this being said, I have seen a few occasions where accidents have happened and the cake has slipped and broken. Sadly it probably happens to the best of us as least once! (Still waiting for my turn:rotfl:)

Most people get the customer or venue to sign to say it was received ok and then the responsibility is transferred. In this case though, the caker has admitted it happened as her fault. As the cake was eaten and it was an accident, then I think the refund is 'ok'. If it was me, I probably would have offered slightly more based on the fact that the tier that was ruined and not right was the biggest tier and also that there was an element of it 'ruining the photos'. I would have probably offered £100 - £130. I do however, think the attitude of the caker in this case was a bit rubbish.

Lavendyr

Personally I think the cake looks awful and £80 is not enough of a refund. I'd suggest £150 i.e. half. A wedding cake is not all about the taste, believe it or not - it's about the look and the photos you will look back on for years to come. A professional cakemaker should be able to make and package a wedding cake sufficiently to protect against the weather and should respect that the cake is going to be a centrepiece in many photos (the "cutting of the cake" being a tradition).

OP I hope you get a reasonable resolution. Personally, from a negotiation stance I would go in slightly over what you hope to achieve, and then settle somewhere between their offer and yours. Hope it works out and many congratulations on your marriage.

notanewuser

Lavendyr wrote: »

. A professional cakemaker should be able to make and package a wedding cake sufficiently to protect against the weather and should respect that the cake is going to be a centrepiece in many photos (the "cutting of the cake" being a tradition).

.

The OP should have contracted a professional cake maker if hats what they wanted.