Style & Inspiration

Home-Baked Bespoke Wedding Cakes: Curtis & Co Cakes

Curtis and Co Cakes is a bespoke wedding cake company based in Gloucestershire. Probably the smallest cake company in the Shire, they specialise in designing and making bespoke, high quality wedding and special occasion cakes; that taste as good as they look.

Jennie Brooks launched Curtis and Co Cakes in 2010, following several years of making wedding and occasion cakes for family and friends and receiving rave reviews. Her first wedding creation was three tiers and decorated with over 50 handmade sugar roses; Jennie was hooked and began developing her craft and natural talent with a diploma in sugarcraft.

Jennie tells us "I have a complete set of sweet teeth and learnt to bake at an early age from my mum and a large family of home bakers. Calling my company Curtis and Co goes a little way to recognising that without my mum's influence, I wouldn't know how to bake a cake let alone design and decorate one." It is Jennie's attention to detail, personal service and on trend designs that identifies Curtis and Co Cakes.

Coming from an Art and Design background, Jennie showcases her artistic abilities through her cake designs, something that is really demonstrated in her hand painted cake creations. The ability to experiment with different colours, textures and shapes is what makes Curtis and Co Cakes truly unique.

A word from Curtis & Co Cakes

What service can couples expect?

"In two words bespoke and personal, I offer a no obligation consultation and can often do this at a couples home or wedding venue. We can have some tea, try some cake samples and really talk about their wedding. Following the consultation, I can send a no obligation quote and a sketch of the cake. For complex designs, I can make small samplers of patterns or piping, to ensure we share the same vision.

Many of my designs are colourful and can match the colour scheme or tone of the wedding. It is important to get every detail right and make the cake a talking point; however big or small.

I always quote to deliver the cake and part of my order confirmation process is to work out the details directly with the wedding venue, such as timings for delivery and finding out if the venue has an appropriate cake stand and knife. It is details like this that sometimes are overlooked, not every venue is in a building anymore and the couple may need to hire the equipment."

What advice can you offer couples when sourcing their wedding cake supplier?

"When couples decide to look for a wedding cake designer, it is good to meet with them and see examples of their work. Images on websites are one thing but seeing a cake is another. It helps to get a good idea of what your cake will look like in terms of size and design, as well as how it will taste.

In order to get the best out of your cake designer be honest about your likes and dislikes. When you meet for your consultation try to take anything with you that will help them to create what you have in mind. If you have the following things organised you will have a successful meeting; your wedding date and venue booked, an approximate number of guests and ideas for colours, themes, floral or reception styling inspirations.

If a bride is unsure about what she would like, I start by asking her what she doesn't like; this gives me an indication of designs to avoid and opens up the discussion about options to explore."

When should a couple order their wedding cake?

"Due to the bespoke nature of our cakes and the fact that we are a small company, we get booked up quickly. We take bookings up to a year in advance and the summer months get booked quickly.

Be sure not to leave it too late, as some cakes need to mature before they are ready to serve. My Fruit Cakes are fed Brandy for 12 weeks before the wedding so they are moist and full of flavour. Leaving it too late could result in disappointment if you have a particular cake designer you wish to use.

I offer a save the date service on my website where you can register your wedding date and venue with me whilst you sort out a few more details. If other couples enquire about your date, I will let you know and offer you the opportunity to meet up for a consultation. Couples find this helpful, as they know that I will let them know if it looks like their date maybe at risk of being booked up. Then they can arrange their no obligation consultation."

What do you think will be the next big wedding cake trend?

"I think pastels and colour are going to be big for the rest of 2012 and into 2013. Our order book is mainly colour and vintage lace going forward. Both are really popular and people are back in love with bigger cakes. Lace is here to stay and we are combining lace with pastel cakes. The British love of vintage is set to continue."

How important is the wedding cake?

"The wedding cake is really important. To me it is not just the centrepiece of your wedding reception; it ties everything together. I love the romantic notion that traditionally, wedding cakes were made to bring good luck to all guests and the couple, so it's lovely that one of the first things you do together is cut or share cake with family and friends. There is something very special about that; It's the picture that everyone comes away with on their cameras."

For more information about Curtis & Co Cakes visit curtisandcocakes.co.uk, contact Jennie on 01452 740 133 or by email. Keep up to date with the latest news from Curtis & Co Cakes by following them on Facebook and Twitter.

Credits: Images by Photoglow Photography; Nigel Byde Graphics & Nikki Kirk Photography

1st August 2012