On Saturday 25th August, I was a guest on the Saturday Sunshine Show on radio Winchcombe 107.1FM. I had been a guest on the station before and it was lovely to be asked back again. However, this time as well as speaking about the Vanilla Pod Bakery, I was also asked to speak about me having. M.E although I have briefly spoken about this on past while raising money for an M.E charity (action for M.E or AYME) I have never before spoke about it to such a wide audience. At first I was quiet apprehensive and nervous was telling people, but then if people don't know about the illness how are we going to raise awareness of it. If people see me on a day to day basis that would not realise there was anything wrong with me. I have had my illness now for 13 years and I am now at a level where I can manage it providing I have a daily nap. This can be a pain but I am so used to it now I don't know any difference. It's bit like plugging in your phone to charge. Having M.E does not stop me song anything, it just makes it a bit more of a challenge. If you have M.E and run a business, please feel free to contact me, I would be delighted to talk.
We have been commissioned to create some beautiful wedding cakes, have a look at some of our simple and elegant designs.
Jane Austin style 4 tier carrot cake iced with buttercream and decorated with fresh flowers. |
Classic 2 tier wedding cake, iced with fondant and decorated with fresh white roses. |
An elegant white fondant iced 3 tier wedding cake, decorated with sugar paste rose buds. |
On Saturday, 18th September 2012 we excitedly held our first wedding tasting consultation day at The Long Weekend in Cheltenham.
Display of wedding cakes |
Our consultations are a chance for the bridal party to discuss their cake requirements with Pia from the Vanilla Pod Bakery as well as taste a selection of our mouth-watering flavours and sketch designs of your dream wedding cake.
Pia preparing for the next consultation |
Next available dates:
Saturday, 29th September 2012
Saturday, 20th October 2012
Saturday, 10th November 2012
To book please contact us via our website.
Display of delicious sample cakes - ready to be sliced and tasted. |
The Long Weekend is a fantastic beauty and holistic boutique in the lovely area of Fairview, Cheltenham. They offer bridal make up, relaxation treatments and pamper parties for more information visit their website or Facebook page.
The colour pink is a very popular colour scheme this summer, have a look at the some of the pink cakes we have created over the past month.
Birthday Cake for party goers at Coco Basement Bar |
Pretty 60th Birthday Cake with bite size cupcakes |
Hen party cake for Coco Basement Bar |
Wedding Cupcakes at Birtsmorton Court |
Wedding Cupcakes with pink and white roses |
Wedding cake table, 1 square fruit cake, 1 square sponge cake, bite size cupcakes and regular size cupcakes at the Farmers Arms, Bishops Cleeve |
Anniversary Cake at Hatherley Manor Hotel |
Wedding Castle Cake and Cupcakes at Hatherley Manor Hotel |
Have a look at this Skull Cake we created.
The skull was made from layers of vanilla sponge which had been carved into a head shape, it was then coated with a base layer of white chocolate and then layer of white fondant which was dusted in lustre dust. The cake was stacked on a plinth made of 4 layers of dark chocolate sponge and this was also covered in white chocolate. Finally it was decorated with sugar craft roses, edible pearls and non edible diamantes to give it some bling.
Carving the cake |
The skull cake |
A year ago a client booked us to make her husband-to-be a grooms cake. The Vanilla Pod Bakery had never made a grooms cake before, and to be honest, didn't really know what one was. But with a little bit of research we discovered that almost every groom in the USA receives one and that this isn't a new concept in the UK. Victorian's used to make grooms cakes for their wedding celebrations too but few modern English observed it today. We think more British people should though, as it is wonderful that the groom gets his every own bespoke cake made especially for him on his big day.
The Jack Daniels flavour sponge is now one of our firm favourites, a light brown coloured cake with unmistakable Jack whisky flavour, finished with the flavour buttercream. A delicious flavoured cake suited to those who do not like overly sweet cakes.
On the 19th, 20th and 21st July 2012 the Vanilla Pod Bakery and Hetty's Tea Party joined forces to create The Wandering Teapot, Gloucestershire's first travelling pop-up tearooms at the Gloucester Quays annual Food Festival.
Dressed in 1950's inspired clothes with cute headbands and pretty white aprons the Wandering Teapot staff opened the doors to the first ever pop up tearooms at the Gloucester Quays Food Festival on the Friday at 10am. We wanted to create a fabulous afternoon tea experience for our customers, that not only delighted the taste buds but the visual senses as well. Located under a cute cow shed, we dressed the tearooms with lovely pastel coloured vintage dressers, fab pieces of kitchenalia, white tables and chairs with hessian table clothes, beautiful floral centre pieces, streams of bunting, a hay bale barrier and of course lots of fantastic vintage china.
Family Tea at The Wandering Teapot - selection of cakes with dainty sandwiches |
The Wandering Teapot open of business |
Image: All in the Image - The teapot staff and selection of afternoon teas |
Customers were treated to a wide choice of afternoon teas with the most popular being the traditional cream tea (scones with clotted cream & jam and a cup of tea) and a slice of cake with a cup of tea. The cakes were all hand baked by the Vanilla Pod Bakery (triple chocolate brownies, gorgeous layer cakes and little cupcakes) and Hetty's Tea Party (delicious scones with clotted cream and Jam, mouth-watering custard tarts and delightful meringues).
Busy afternoon in the tearooms |
We were so chuffed with what we had achieved and it was was so lovely to hear all the wonderful comments. We even got to meet a few celebrities!
Image: Sue Cato - TV Chef James Martin with Henrietta Kitt and Pia Cato |
Image: All in the Image - TV chef Gino D'Acampo with Phoebe Rooley and Katie Evans |
Image: Sue Cato - TV's Fabulous Baker Brothers with the Wandering Teapot Girls |
If you came to the tearooms we hope you had a fantastic experience and we look forward to welcoming you at next pop up tearooms.
We would also like to say a MASSIVE thank you to all of our sponsors and
staff, without you the Wandering Teapot would not have been possible:
For the amazing china and cutlery
For the fantastic furniture and kitchenalia
For the wonderful tea which is locally
packed
For the fantastic center pieces and floral
displays
For the lovely straw bales
Not forgetting, Tessa Galloway for the
brilliant flyer design, Della for the Wandering Teapot banner, Over Farm for the delicious
strawberries, Cottewold Dairy for the milk bottles, The Gloucester Quays and
Great Taste Markets for having faith in us and of course our absolutly amazing staff who all volunteered their time over the weekend –
Thank you so so so much.
Best wishes,
In the Press!
What do you think of our new stall layout?
We have taken away the black table cloth and purchased some lovely crates, wooden trays and added a vase of fresh flowers.
We are routing for team GB and we are so proud of what they have achieved so far that we made a cake to celebrate this! So proud to be British.
*Colour inspiration taken from the Official Olympic rings
A couple of weeks ago the Vanilla Pod Bakery were commissioned to make a make a pink and yellow cake in the theme of Giffords Circus. We were handed a flyer for inspiration and their website and this is what we created.
As you can see Giffords Circus uses quite a dark colour palette so our first thoughts were to lighten this as the cake was for a child's 5th birthday and she had requested lots of pinks and yellows. So we designed few sketches for the client to approve first. On the flyer we were given there were lots of stars, dancing bears, horses and acrobats we decided to use all of these areas and design a magical cake.
Then we set to work baking and bringing the cake to life.
The cake was a vanilla sponge sandwiched with strawberry jam and buttercream, covered with pink fondant and decorated with fondant detailing. The Giffords Circus logo and message were both piped with royal icing.