Tell us about you and how you got started.
I’m Helen Finney and I run Cat’s Whiskers Cake Design. I’m a mum of 2 lively boys and I work from home. The business was set up about 6 years ago but I ran it part time alongside my day job until late 2009 when I was made redundant and took the chance to bake cake for a living!
What makes you different from your competitors?
We offer a very personalized service – our aim is to make each cake unique. Also, you come to my home to talk about your design and drink tea and eat cake. We work really hard to get to the design that’s perfect for you but that’s also within your budget. We don’t have a portfolio of designs that you choose from – we work with you to build up your design so that it’s exactly what you want.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I love baking – I always have. And I love the creative process of a new design, and also pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in icing! I love producing something beautiful and delicious at the same time, and the smile that either the sight or the taste of the cake produces.
Tell us about a memorable wedding or event that you have worked at.
There’s a local event run annually in our small town – the Ramsbottom Chocolate Festival. In 2010 we had a stall there for the first time (the second time the festival was run). We had absolutely no idea what to expect really – it was a total step into the unknown. I work with my mum and she and I spent an entire week preparing, baking, icing and decorating a variety of cupcake flavours (all chocolate related!) and numerous miniature novelty cakes. My husband and I went and ran the stall – I was terrified that we’d come back with lots of stock! But it was the most incredible day – we were run off our feet for the whole day and sold over 500 cupcakes and 60 miniature novelty cakes in 6 hours! And what’s even better is that someone who bought cupcakes and picked up our flyer remembered us six months later when she was looking for a wedding cake supplier! We’ll be back again this year and this time I can’t wait.
What have been your main achievements so far?
It might sound a bit odd but to be honest not having to go back to an office job has been one of my main achievements! The business has grown a lot through word of mouth recommendation and I am immensely proud of that. Also, we’ve had bookings from all of the wedding fairs we’ve attended so far and that’s very reassuring
If you were getting married this year, which current trends would you adopt?
We’re seeing a high demand for our miniature cakes – to me, these help to make your guests feel even more special as they each receive an individual cake! We have a large number of different designs and with them ranging in price it’s a great way to control your costs too. These are especially popular for a smaller wedding as you can achieve a three tier look without the need for all that cake!
What are your plans for the future?
To work really hard to help the business to grow – I want to be able to continue doing this as it’s what I love. At the same time though what’s important to me is to retain the high quality level that we feel is very important.
What inspires you?
I have two levels of inspiration. The first is my two sons – they inspire me to work as hard as possible to make this a success as I know that they are benefitting from me being able to work from home instead of at an office job. The flexibility that it gives me means I can do the school run and leave my early evenings free as family time. My second level of inspiration relates to my designs – I’m not sure where they come from a lot of the time! Sometimes it’s a pattern I see – maybe on a fabric or on wallpaper – other times they just seem to appear as we work. Mum and I work well together and quite often one of us will be able to see the finishing touch to the other’s idea.
How can our readers get in touch with you?
We have a website www.catswhiskerscakedesign.co.uk and we’re also on Facebook (search for Cat’s Whiskers Cake Design) and on Twitter too @whiskerscakes
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