‘I started delivering cakes on Instagram’
Lindsey Morley, from Bristol, works in HR but started making and delivering luxury cakes during lockdown. She says, “At the start of the pandemic I was a part-time HR consultant, then I got a KitchenAid for my birthday, and I launched a luxury cake business! I’d always loved cakes, but I’d got fed up with mass produced, tasteless bakes, or cakes focused on being super healthy.
“A problem I saw is that people are desperate for business so they are working virtually for free. Bakers were selling a fivelayer cake coated in ganache with fancy fillings and beautiful decorations for £30. It would have taken half a day to make that, plus the cost of ingredients, packaging, tools and electricity, so they aren’t giving themselves a wage. I couldn’t compete with that, so I decided to focus on unique celebration cakes. I spent time focusing on my niche so I wouldn’t be compared to anything else. Anyone can bake a half decent cake, so my aim was to build a reputation for doing things differently.
“I set my prices based on what it costs to produce a cake, and my time. If you asked someone to design your living room, you wouldn’t expect to pay £50, so why would you expect someone to design and make you a unique cake for next to nothing?
“I joined the Sugar Sugar Cake School online (Learn. sugarcakeschool.com) and Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School (Savourschool.com.au) to learn techniques. I found out what I liked doing the most and concentrated on that. Then I got my food safety and hygiene certificate, registered with the council and sorted insurance. I then set up Instagram and Facebook pages and started posting images of my cakes.
“I did some giveaways and competitions locally to get started, and sent cakes to local businesses, schools and GP surgeries. I also launched on Goodsixty.co.uk, which is like Deliveroo for local produce. It took about six weeks to build up a following, and now I make about £400 a month. My prices start from £100 for a threetiered, minimally decorated cake, while wedding cakes start at £350. In the future, I want to branch out into more patisserie and open a luxurious shop.”
● Visit @morleyscakery