A busy mum-of-two has followed her dream of baking cakes and set up her own cake company with a £350 grant. Simone, 32, from Willenhall, has always loved baking and found she baked more when she was on maternity leave.
Her cakes proved to be a hit with friends and family who placed orders to buy her delicious bakes. Feeling confident and inspired by the constant stream of cake orders, Simone decided to set up her own cake business.
Not one to shy away from a challenge, the creative mum made the decision to go part-time at her day job where she is mortgage advisor. She applied for a Prince’s Trust grant and was given £350, which was just enough to buy boxes, cake boards, logo letterheads, leaflets and ribbons.
As reported in BirminghamLive, A Taste of Delight cakes was born in 2020. Simone juggles two jobs and two children by working 26 hours over three long days.
"I make brownies, blondies, cupcakes, cookies and tray bakes,” said Simone whose children are Khai, five, and Kayden, two. "I bake in the evenings when the kids have gone to bed.
"I put my music on and have a bit of a jam. And when I’ve finished, I look at what I’ve made and think wow that’s pretty! It’s quite therapeutic.
“My mum always used to bake, it’s something we’ve always done," she said. "And now my kids love it too.
"I think if I weighed out the ingredients, my five year old could bake a cake on his own! He can crack eggs on the side of the dish, whereas I have to use a knife - what does that tell you?
“Mum gave me her KitchenAid food processor so I had a few bits to get started then the £350 grant from the Prince’s Trust enabled me to get a logo and some printed paper and some packaging equipment. I had been finding it really hard to buy those things when I got the orders in as sometimes people wanted the cakes quickly.
“Now I have a good supply so I’m ready to complete orders at short notice. And I can use my income now to keep stocking up on my supplies.
"I’ve also had a couple of business mentors who have been great. I’ve just started making celebration cakes as well as cupcakes but I find that people tend to prefer jazzed up tray bakes for celebrations instead of the traditional large cakes."
Simone’s partner helps by running the children to their gymnastics and football sessions whilst she’s cooking and her family pitches in too. “As soon as the oven is on, the kids say are you baking a cake for me?
"I say no this one's for someone else," she laughed. “I prefer to bake when they are in bed as then I’m in no hurry or thinking about other things like getting their lunches ready.
“I have to say the kids are really good though, they are used to me baking and if I ask them to go and do something else for a while then they do. They know they get the best scraps in our house!"
