The Gift of Cake

Tell us a little bit about yourself – have you always been foodies?
We’ve always been big foodies. Our social lives are planned around food, whether that’s making a delicious feast when camping, a big BBQ spread for friends and family, or enjoying a meal out in one of Devon’s amazing restaurants. Whenever we make plans, food is always at the forefront of our minds!

Adam is a keen baker, having made cakes from a young age. I’ve always been more of a chef and enjoy not being restricted by having to weigh ingredients… but I never say no to a piece of cake!

In 2009, we worked in a high-end chalet in the French Alps. We catered for 14 guests on a daily basis – breakfasts, canapés, a four-course evening meal and a cake for everyone to enjoy when they returned from the slopes. In France, we learnt that we make a great team and the praise received from our guests about our cakes inspired us to start our business.

When and why did you set up The Gift of Cake?
Our wholesale business, Truly Treats, has been supplying cakes for The Gift of Cake for many years. We saw a huge increase in sales from The Gift of Cake during the pandemic, and the previous owner began to struggle with demand. He was a one-man band and ready to retire. He approached us at the beginning of the year to see if we wanted to take over.

As a supplier to the foodservice industry, the pandemic has had a huge impact on Truly Treats. We’ve always been keen to add an e-commerce strand to the offering, so this was a perfect opportunity.

As a relatively new business, can you tell us a little bit about it and how it’s developing?
Our current range of eight tempting cakes come packaged in beautiful, keepsake tins, elegantly gift-wrapped and sent with a personalised message card. We offer next-day delivery within mainland UK. It’s been a challenge to develop a range of cakes that taste delicious, look fantastic and transport well. Our aim is to deliver quality, happiness and smiles to every lucky Gift of Cake recipient.

How will you grow the business?
Environment concerns are at the forefront of our operation. We believe that businesses have a huge role to play in protecting our planet’s future, and we’ll be doing everything we can to reduce our impact. From September 2021, we’ve pledged to plant a tree for every order we receive. Our goal is to negate the environmental impact of our e-commerce business.

How do you decide what to include in your product range?
We sell the traditional classics, like our Triple Chocolate Paradise Cake, Celestial Coffee and Walnut Cake, and Angelic Carrot Cake. The recent shift towards a more plant-based diet has seen escalating sales of our Vegan Chocolate & Pistachio Cake. We were thrilled that this cake was recently crowned with a Taste of the West Gold Award, and shortlisted as a finalist within the vegan category.

Are there any cakes or products you’d like to offer that you don’t yet?
We’d like to introduce some more unusual flavour combinations.

Are there any new products coming up?
The development of our Christmas Cake is well under way, and will be launched on 1 November 2021. It’s a festive twist on a Chocolate Orange Cake, and will be delivered in a bespoke gold tin. We’re also in the process of developing a Rainbow Cake to add a little colour to the range, launching in 2022 – watch this space!

What makes a successful business?
Look after your team. We have a great group of people in the bakery – from the bakers and decorators, to the packers and washer-uppers. It’s a collective effort, and our employee retention rate shows that we must be doing something right. Move with the times and be open to ideas and opportunities. Running a business is a work in process and there are always improvements to be made. It’s important to have a flexible and positive attitude to make changes.

What’s next?
We’re currently exploring new ways to increase our online presence and our social following. Follow our Facebook (@TheGiftofCake) and Instagram (@thegiftofcake) pages for our latest news, offers and competitions.

We’re also looking into ways to market our cakes as corporate gifts for Christmas and company events. There are always a million ideas flying around at The Gift of Cake. The future is looking very bright!