Hospitality | Divine Cakes & Desserts
Simply divine cakes If there is anyone in Christchurch who hasn’t eaten a slice of Divine’s cake or dessert it would be worth asking where they’ve been hiding. Celebrating 10 years of excellence, Divine Cakes & Desserts is the cake shop of choice for celebrating any occasion, from birthdays to weddings, 21st parties and christenings. The business opened its doors in April 2003 at the Blenheim Road store in Christchurch, with all baking taking place on site. Soon after The Palms store was opened, followed by stores at Westfield Riccarton and then Eastgate Mall, which was subsequently lost in the earthquakes and being replaced by a Northlands Mall store. In 2008 a Divine Café was opened in the city and the owners moved the baking operation into a purpose built facility, starting cake decorating courses for customers and began retailing decorating equipment and supplies. Owners Craig Rust and Janine Kenyon pride themselves on the fact that their product still tastes as it would if you made it at home, because they use real eggs, real butter and fresh cream. The opening of new stores at regular intervals during the past 10 years is testament to the well deserved reputation of the business’ cakes and desserts have for tasting homemade, but looking utterly professional.
“Divine Cakes & Desserts is locally owned and operated, which most people don’t know they think it is a New Zealand wide franchise,” Craig says. “We see ourselves as a special occasion cake company that strives to provide a great looking and tasting cake or dessert. We love being involved in our customers’ events or special moments and our staff loves the challenge of new novelty cakes or wedding cakes.” Divine Cakes has marked off some impressive milestones during the years that include making the 150 metre long cake in the square to celebrate the Christchurch City Council 150th birthday in 2006. It also made a replica cake of the first Christchurch library, won gold and silver awards at the New Zealand Ice Cream Awards for its Gelato in 2010, including New Zealand’s best Sorbet, and has introduced cake decorating courses, which are proving increasingly popular with customers keen to unleash their own creativity. “Our core products are the chocolate mud cake, chocolate sponge happy birthday cake and the Christchurch famous Divine carrot cake. Then there’s the Baileys cheese cake, which is a personal favourite of ours, especially following the bbq on a hot summers night,” Craig explains.
“
As a company we are focused on maintaining our position in the Canterbury market and helping Cantabrians celebrate the special occasions.
”
- OWNER, CRAIG RUST
A big thank you Divine Cakes & Desserts is continually working Divine Cakes would like to thank its on improving its products and making its suppliers for their on-going support: range broader. “Recently we have developed a range of small goods including biscuits, BDS Chartered Accountants, Harmans chocolate truffles and individual serve Lawyers and Easy Made Marmalade. cheesecakes. We are now working on a range of petite cheesecakes which are going into our stores now. Our range of fudge also continues Heading into the Christmas season Craig and is now a significant part of our business. explains that all their focus goes onto helping “We have seen a gap in the market for customers celebrate the festive season with European inspired desserts and slices, such great cakes and desserts. “As a company we as the traditional multi-layer opera cake are focused on maintaining our position in the and petite Sphere desserts which we have Canterbury market and helping Cantabrians modified to suit the Kiwi pallet, such as our celebrate the special occasions. This is where Hokey Pokey Chocolate and Caramel Crème we work along side businesses in Christchurch Dessert. At the moment we have a larger wanting to give thank you gifts to their staff range of these available at our Westfield or/and clients. What better way to say thanks store, but we have introduced a smaller range than to give a chocolate mud cake with the at the other locations,” Craig says. company’s logo on it saying thanks.” CT
Divine Cakes & Desserts 160 Blenheim Road Riccarton Christchurch T (03) 964 6540 www.divine.co.nz — Advertising Feature
Proud to support Divine Cakes
03 433 1043
sunpic76@xtra.co.nz
www.canterburytoday.co.nz December 2013/January 2014 | 49