Save the Date Magazine feature

at this moment my multi-tasking consists of eating ginger biscuits whilst typing up some more nonsense for you to read! I have always been easily distracted and this is the reason why I have to multi-task as I start several things simultaneously. I am flicking from Face Book, to Twitter, to Blogger, to biscuits and more. to be fair I think most women are like this so I am not alone.
Right, well there has been much going on as usual at the urban bakery - mucho baking, admin, pr, shopping (supplies not topshop unfortunately) and the like. As I am the sharing kind I thought you would like to know about where we have featured recently. Save the Date Magazine featured the urban bakery with a double page spread on their first few pages of this months issue and it is a great wee article all about the Whoopie. this is a lovely wedding and events publication as it is specific to the midlands so contains lots os localized stuff as it can be a pain to see something in a magazine and find its a 100 miles away and not a viable option. Save the Date Magazine is on and offline so offers the best of both worlds depending on how touchy feeling you are - or at one with the web etc. There is more (as always) but little and often is my motto (apart from when I have a bowl of crisps in front of me as this is just an eat until you see the pattern of the bowl scenario) as I want to keep your interest and not bore you even more than I may do!! if anyone has any suggestions/questions about any of my blog please shout as is good to get some interaction going with these things rather that a one way thing. right, off to start and perhaps complete another task...cake on through to the other side (oh B if you spot any crappy poor grammar/spelling please shout x)

Mercia FM Cupcakes...they where literally giving them away!

was asked by Mercia FM to do 200 cupcakes for a promotion they where doing in the lower precinct in Coventry city centre a couple of Weeks ago. I matched the hot pink cases and buttercream frosting to their logo and when they were all together on the 7 tiers they looked pretty impressive. People where mesmerized by the sudden surge of sugary wafts and mad there way over like they had no other choice!! The cupcakes where part of the promotion that was to last 4 hours, which equates to 50 cupcakes an hour to be given away - I was there for the first 10 minutes after set-up and I doubt very much they lasted (well actually I know this for a fact from the promo people but I like a bit of over egged drama!!).
Basically they where pink, they where tasty, they smelt awesome and they where being given away free so whats not to love people. I love getting involved with jobs like this as it makes me feel included in the marketing mix and takes me back to days of old - the nostalgia stops after about 5 minutes so all good as I want to stay firmly where I am now let me tell you - no politics in my domain!!
I had some cracking feedback from the marketing manager at Mercia who was great to work with. I understand the pressures that marketing peeps have as I have been there and done it so I can just take the brief and do it which is part of my offering as I like to take control!! (OCD - moi?). Here is the feedback ‘We worked with the Urban Bakery on a listener promotion and had long queues of people in the city centre all after the delicious cup cakes, the presentation was amazing and we will certainly be using them again’ – Dominic Parker, Marketing Manager Mercia FM
Right, gotta go and bake a squillion cupcake - hasta la vista

Too Hot to Handle

I have been so busy baking I have not had a chance to do any blogging - shameful I know. I can tell you know that today's rainfall would have been a blessing at the end of last week when I was in a kitchen that was reminiscent of the fires of mordor as my hand piped chocolate hearts (a couple of hundred of em') where finding it hard to settle in said ambient temperature. it was a solid 20+ hours on my feet baking several hundred cupcakes for weddings, private parties and a couple of boxes that where picked up to be taken to Amsterdam to watch the World Cup Final (hopefully not a bad omen...). After cleaning down - which takes a good few hours (sheer bliss when you are dead on your feet and all you want is a cold beer and an episode of 'The Inbetweeners' to start the healing process). It is all about being highly organised I can tell ya. You need a list (long one) and the ability to multi-task like never before as you cannot drop one of your balls (ouch). I get so much brilliant feedback from my customers and this makes it all worth while. I especially love the feedback from brides & grooms as this is such an important part of their big day.
I had this feedback from a bride who got married on Saturday 10 July who was overjoyed:
"The Urban Bakery ROCKS!!!! My wedding cupcakes were awesome yesterday and went down a storm. Thanks so much Anne Marie, you're a truly talented lady. love Rose & Tim xxxxx"
Gush away my lovely customers as at 3am in the morning this feedback keep me going!!

Wedding Cupcakes & Cake

Tickled Pink!! This was one of the most complex and wedding jobs I have done to date as involved many handmade cupcake decorations and 3 shades of pink of each and of the frosting. I think they all look really good together as the colours blended and flowed. I had asked for a round table as I though this would have helped the cascading look but when I got there is was a rectangle table so I just had to get on with it...humph. The table literally could not have taken another cupcake as it just so happened every 230 of them fit perfectly on this space - praise be...
The cake was a complicated little number as for the size it was very heavy for a 7.5 inch round. To get the dome involved a third level of cake that was topped with medium sized sugar roses which weighed a lot - it was seriously a heavyweight cake. Complimented the cupcake display as there where about 40+ of the same roses on various shades of pink cupcakes so good to tie it all in in subtle ways.
The bride was overjoyed as it exceeded her expectations...hooray!
If you would like this style of cake or adaption of please just drop me a line at annemarie@theurbanbakery.co.uk or call 01926 425750

Mini Cooper Birthday Cake

when i was asked if I could do a birthday cake like a mini cooper i went a tad cold at the thought of carving sponge to emulate said classic. I am not a huge fan of overtly obvious things as i think it is always so much more stylish to take an element of a design and work with this. the mini is an iconic car with so many iconic and recognisable features so i thought it would be good to come up with a design that took on board so key design features. the result was the aside image which takex cues from the bonnet of a mini cooper with the dark blue and grey colour usage from their palette. i wanted to keep clean lines and not overly complicate or fuss the cake as i am a believer in less being more. the customer said that the cake was the highlight of the party and that it tasted awesome - so that is just great as it is always good to hit the mark.

World Cup Cupcakes

Never thought I would be piping grass!! All in honor of the impending football mania that is very soon to descend upon the world. These little beauties would also be a great gift for Father Day as this falls on the 20th June- midway through the world cup mayhem!
Will be doing a box of four 'World Cupcakes' for £15 so get your orders in quick to ensure you can get your order guaranteed!!

i'm a rock and roll star...apparently

Well, apparently entrepreneurs are the new rock stars - and as I have received and award officially labelling me an entrepreneur (lets not spell that again...) I kinda beg to differ when I am elbow deep in icing sugar - but hey, every dog has its day (woof).
I have been named as one of the '42 under 42' in the midlands (you know, someone to watch out for, a rising star etc), and am in some very good company i have to say. there is a posh award ceremony being held at villa park next week and i will have an opportunity to schmooze and rub shoulders with fellow people of utter brilliance. there will be special awards given to those that shine beyond that of a fair glimmer - usually a high turnover and staff numbers will determine this so i will keep an eye on the bread rolls and flow of vino. attire is lounge suit so i shall be frocked up - am hoping leg bruises have lessened by then as this is really not the weather for tights (skin like a peach people).
there will most likely be an array of fromage press shots that i will of course share with you as i am always up for a laugh. i am hoping to have some tales to share with you as it is a while (since leaving the race of rats) since i attended such an affair. the most exciting bit so far was receipt of some cherry flavoured tic tacs by fellow winner who was very organised and sent me a letter in advance about looking forward to meeting with another fellow winner. i feel a tad under prepared as have not made contact with any fellow 42ers - perhaps i should just bring some cake along and make friends via the lucid connection of sugar?
anywho - i shall share anything of interest with you next week as i am all about the sharing! i did this whilst waiting for some cupcakes to bake - this is multi-tasking at its very best and given that it is 4.50am i really do deserve an award!