Women in Business

Creative mum WOMEN IN BUSINESS cooks up tasty new career

Childhood birthday parties are associated with smiles and good memories. Just imagine then how you’d feel when Happy Birthday has been sung and the candles blown out but you’re unable to enjoy a slice of cake with all your friends because you’re allergic to eggs, gluten and dairy products.

Bromsgrove mum Victoria Wilkes grew tired of seeing the disappointment on her daughter Siena’s face and decided to start making cakes and sweet treats that were non-allergenic and tasted great.

“I didn’t like Siena missing out so I got an old recipe book from my mum and started making cakes that she could take to a party,” recalled Victoria.

“Even though it’s relatively easy to buy gluten-free flour and dairy-free butter and use other ingredients such as fruit as a replacement for egg, it was trial and error at first. I was determined that the cake would both look and taste nice, unlike some of the bland ‘free from’ products you see in supermarkets.”

Victoria’s passion for allergy friendly baking moved to a whole new level last year when she was furloughed from her job as a secretary and then made redundant.

“I thought this was the perfect opportunity to give it a go and I registered my business, took a food safety and hygiene course, had a logo designed and set up Facebook and Instagram pages to spread the word about Victoria’s Bakes.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time but had to put it on the back burner. Now that the children are older (Siena is 13 and brother Cameron is 9) I have more time to dedicate to it and I’m delighted to say that it has just snowballed.”

As well as customers who can collect safely from her home, Victoria also delivers items across the UK – she has many loyal fans in Kent and Essex – and to her appreciative sister who lives in the USA. This involved lots of research, patience and persistence in the early days of the business.

All are sent via signed for delivery to ensure they arrive at the right destination and Victoria has learned that “biscuits and flat treats work best. It’s not great for cupcakes.”

If you look at the Facebook and Insta pages, it’s easy to see why Victoria’s lovingly created home-bakes have attracted such a devoted fan base. Her treat boxes were a hit from the word go and she’s now creating afternoon tea and picnic boxes for groups of up to six to share when they meet up.

To find out more and place an order, search Victoria’s Bakes. And a word to the wise, book early to avoid disappointment!