Whatever happened to The Ladybird Cakery?

If you've been a follower for a while, you may have noticed that The Ladybird Cakery has quietly (or maybe not so quietly) taken a backseat to Becca's Bouqcakes. So what's happened and why?

Like many people who get into caking, I started after being cajoled into it by a friend. I'd made birthday cakes for her daughters; she'd eaten many that I'd made my own daughter and she knew I enjoyed it so why not?

But once something stops being a hobby and starts being a business, things change. It's not just making cake any more. You have to have kit; and specific skills. And creativity. And most of all time. At first, it's addictive as you get orders from people you don't know and they praise your skills. It's one thing being praised by your nearest and dearest, but so much more flattering when it's someone you don't know.

Then you start to consider it as a proper job. Sounds fun, right? But once you sit down and work out exactly how many cupcakes you'd need to bake and decorate to replace your full time salary, it suddenly loses its sparkle. And you realise that there would be immense pressure to get those orders in week after week to make ends meet. Sparkle totally gone.

So it becomes a self-funding hobby. You can buy whatever kit you like because it's an investment. Trying to be all things to everyone - making some cakes which bring you great pleasure and others that....well... if I'm honest, you're glad to see the back of as just nothing will go right. A few days later and you start the next one and buy more stuff. Cutters, airbrushes, moulds, shaped tins, stamps, special paints. You name it, I bought it. Until you run out of storage space! And have cupboards full of things you only use once and never again.

Next came the big project. In my case, my wedding cake. So I practised and designed and tasted and stressed. Five tiers (and many real tears later), and my biggest cake triumph to date was presented to the world days before lockdown 1.0 happened.

Like many triumphs, it was swiftly followed by lows. Not just lockdown, but the passing of my beloved grandfather (the closest I ever had to a dad) and my daughter's Type 1 diabetes diagnosis. Coupled with a change in the sorts of orders that were coming in, it was definitely time for reflection and a change of direction.

And then I discovered floral cupcakes. And a new opportunity emerged. So on my grandfather's birthday, Becca's Bouqcakes was launched. It's been so successful, that I've taken the decision to mothball The Ladybird Cakery branding for the time being to allow me to solely focus on Becca's Bouqcakes.

I'm still making great cakes - just a few less of them. Besides bouqcakes, I'm also able to offer buttercream celebration cakes and the odd animal cake too. But mostly Bouqcakes.

I'm eternally grateful to each and every person who has ordered or been gifted one of my cakes and taken the time to give me their wonderful feedback. When the time is right, I may extend the range again, but for now, The Ladybird Cakery is taking a well-earned break!

Here's a video of the best bits created by my lovely daughter to celebrate The Ladybird Cakery's third birthday. Enjoy! xo