Nikki Dixon
When did your love of baking take off?
It's something I've always done. All my knowledge about baking has come from my Mum who used to make us elaborate cakes when we we're younger, so perhaps that’s where the interesting approach to cake making comes from. I’ve had no formal training but have always been very creative and I think my flare for design has translated into these weird and wonderful cakes.
What inspired you to make cakes to look like other foods?
It all started when I made my boyfriend a giant Burger and Fries style. A photograph was immediately posted on Facebook which resulted in lots of friends asking me if I could make more, so I did. For the next few years I got away with turning my friends favourite foods into cakes for birthday presents. So initially that was my inspiration, figuring out what favourite foods I could turn into spectacular cakes for friends that were unique and personal to them.
But since starting up FoodieCakes with my business partner Eddie, it’s become more than just that… Cakes are something that we eat as a treat and usually as a celebration, something we have on a special occasion. So why not mark that special occasion with unique experience that is both memorable and fun?! We believe that when it comes to celebration food, there should be more than just taste on offer. FoodieCakes appeal to all the senses, from sight, smell and touch, to taste and texture. Enhanced all the more by the fact that the cakes don't look anything like they taste means they go far beyond just being a delicious indulgence and become a real memorable experience. So as well as being inspired to create unique cakes that are personal to our customers, we also strive to create a fun experience that brings people together on special occasions, from the minute they open the cake box to reveal their desired creation, right through to their very last bite.
What is your process from scratch when making a creation like this?
When creating a bespoke FoodieCake for a customer, I always start by looking at images of the food they wish to turn into cake. From there I'll usually scribble down what materials and ingredients I will use to make the different components of the dish. If there’s something I'm unsure of, or something that I haven't yet come across, I will experiment beforehand to make sure that it's going to work. I will usually bake all the sponge for the cake the day before I assemble it, especially with particularly large cakes, as it can sometimes take a full 2 days to complete the entire process. Then it’s just a matter of transforming the sponge into a food-like cake which is done with a clever combination of icing, colouring, cutters, paintbrushes, sponges and patience.
How did you start your own business from your unique idea?
When I left university I went to work for an Advertising Agency in Southampton as a junior designer, which is where I met then Creative Director, Eddie Cook. I showed him pictures of my cakes and he was amazed and he convinced me that this could make a great business. With his love for food and his enthusiasm for my food-like cakes, it just seemed like the perfect partnership, so we set up FoodieCakes together and with Eddie's experience in advertising, marketing and branding, and my background in graphic design, we had all the tools we needed to build a brilliant brand and identity.
I was very adamant, as was Eddie, that FoodieCakes would have a very strong brand identity, something that people would recognise and remember. So initially we spent a lot of time building a really strong brand identity. As well as all the hours spent in the Kitchen working on delicious recipes for our Minis range, which is essentially our production range, much like the cupcake!
When we first launched the business we relied heavily on social media, and it worked brilliantly for us. I think because of the nature of what we do, posting photographs on our page - which people would then share - was a great way of promoting ourselves and quickly gaining a following. Then came our website, I designed this myself and used the online platform Wix.com to build it. I had all the tools and the knowledge to design a good site, just no idea how to build it. Wix was a great discovery as I was able to design our site from scratch and then used their online platform to build it. We are now able to easily update the site and keep it active without relying on an outside web company.
Which is your most popular cake?
Burgers and hotdogs prove to be very popular, and any dishes that include baked beans.
Many of your testimonials are from people in offices and those having parties, so are these your main clientele?
We do tend to cater a lot for parties and office meetings, as well as events. However, since launching our UK wide delivery service, we are now seeing a lot more people coming to us for gifts. People will place an order for a cake and have it sent straight someone as a gift, often attaching a personal message.
What other occasions can you cater for?
We have catered for a few press events and product launches, one of which being bag brand Goodordering. We also worked with beauty brand Lipcote creating bespoke Christmas cakes that were sent out to journalists. So we would like to think we could cater for pretty much anything, within our limitations of course. We are always really excited when we get approached by brands and companies wanting to work with us.
What is next for you?
Having just launched our UK wide delivery service, we are keen to get out and promote this as much as possible at the moment as well as continuing to develop and expand our product ranges for this service. We would also love to find some stockists for FoodieCakes. Then further down the line…. who knows... perhaps a mobile unit… festivals, large scale events... the world is our oyster!