Zoe says “10% Discount on all products and equipment (not the classes) to all Cake Life Readers! Just Call Into The Shop And Quote The Discount Code 10%ZFC And It’s Valid For One Month From Today!”
Zoe Hopkinson of Zoe’s Fancy Cakes has a passion for teaching and cakes, sheer hard work, determination and of course talent, has seen Zoe achieve an incredible amount in a short time.
Cake Life visited Zoe Hopkinson of Zoe’s Fancy Cakes at her new shop this month, in Horsforth, Leeds! Filled to the brim with a fabulous range of cake products and equipment, this is a real Aladdin’s cave for any cake-decorating enthusiast!
There is classroom space for up to ten students where Zoe will be teaching her modelling classes and has plans to host classes with other well-known cake designers including Sylvia Mancini and Carla Puig.
You can buy the range of specially designed t-shirts and denim aprons at the shop and the utterly delightful handcrafted cake plaques.
Zoe’s website is www.zoesfancycakes.co.uk
Let’s chat with the lovely Zoe of Zoe’s Fancy Cakes:
Q. Tell us about your Cake Journey and how it all began
A. “I have always enjoyed crafts including glass painting, jewellery making and sourdough modelling. I studied fashion design at university and wanted to be a bridal designer but realised that wasn’t for me. I ended up working for the department of education. A few years ago, Richard’s mum baked a fruitcake for Christmas and asked me to decorate it. I had never decorated a cake and wasn’t sure what to do. At that time it didn’t even cross my mind to look on-line for how to decorate cakes. After two days I ended up with a decorated Christmas cake that everyone loved so I was asked to do another one…. Soon I was making cakes for not only family and friends but for the girls at work. Once I started taking orders for people I didn’t know, I registered as a home-based business. I became a full-time cake decorator four years ago when working full time and doing cakes orders was too much of a juggle. I thought going full-time as a cake artist would mean that I had more free time at evening and weekends to go to the gym.
Q. So how do you like working full time in the cake world?
A. “Now that I have my own shop I have less spare time. I quit the gym after paying for a subscription for a year and never finding the time to go! I don’t mind though as I absolutely love my job”
Q. Have you attended any classes or are you self-taught?
A. “I am self-taught as I couldn’t afford classes. I then attended a level one evening course at college which was mainly royal icing. I have now started attending classes for fun in my spare time. I recently attended a class with Sachiko from Mimicafe Union @NYCake, this was great fun”
Q. What cake tools can’t you live without?
A. “Paintbrush and a Dresden tool are my absolute essential tools. When I first started cake-decorating classes I wanted to be able to run classes without much investment in tools in case the classes didn’t take off. I still use the same tools today”
Q. What is your most popular class?
A. “The bride and groom modelling class is still the most popular”
Q. What piece of advice would you give to someone thinking of opening a cake shop?
A. “If you want to open your own shop, be prepared to put long hours in and be prepared to continue to do so. You have to be able to cope well with working late and at weekends”
Q. Zoe’s fancy Cakes really is a family business as your partner Richard does all the baking and manages the shop. How do you manage work-life Balance?
A. Zoe smiles. “What is work-life balance? At the moment we seem to be working all the time but we enjoy what we do”
Q. What trends do you predict for wedding cakes in 2018?
A. “The trends for wedding cakes in 2018 will be simpler and less fussy. I am now asked for more geometric designs and taller cakes”
Q. What do you have planned for 2018?
A. ” I would like more classes, teaching both in the UK and abroad for 2018. I would love to write a book and launch my own face mould but they have been on the bucket list for a while, so watch this space! I would also love to do a big 3D showpiece if given the opportunity”
Thank you Zoe, Cake Life has enjoyed visiting your new shop!
