Mums’ cakes wanted for new UK-wide baking firm
You’d be wrong to think starting a new business was a piece of cake, but one entrepreneur is hoping for exactly that.
Paula Wilkinson is setting up Mums Bake Cakes, a service giving customers a chance to send their family and friends a tasty treat from a home baker.
But it’s not something she can do on her own – the businesswoman is looking for an army of home-baking mums across the country to help get the business rising.
Mum-of-two Paula realised there was a gap in the market when she tried to send a cake to her ill niece in Wales but couldn’t find any local bakers offering to deliver.
She said: “I wanted to send something relevant and special to her. Not everyone wants flowers. I went online and couldn’t find anything about a local baker making and supplying cakes to people in the area. I ended up asking my sister to organise a cake from a bakers in the town before driving to Wales to collect it and deliver it personally.”
Mrs Wilkinson, 48, from Maidstone, added the success of The Great British Bake Off convinces her the business, similar to Interflora, will be a winner. She said: “I want a network of mums around the country who love making cakes at home and help them make some money as well. Many families are struggling and this would give them a bit of extra cash.”
She will set up a website portal to save individual bakers having to create a site of their own and provide a one-stop-shop for customers. When someone orders a cake they will see the baker closest to the place where they want it to be sent, they can add a message and place the order, before the treat is delivered.
One of the first home bakers to sign up is Maidstone Borough Councillor Nikki Fissenden (Lib Dem), who produced a glutenfree carrot cake.
Mum-of-two Cllr Fissenden, of Boxley Road, said: “I’ve been baking for five years since my husband was diagnosed as a coeliac. I make special gluten and dairy free cakes and speciality cakes for weddings, restaurants and cafés. This is a fantastic idea.”
Website www. mumbakescakes.co.uk was scheduled to be launched this week.