The client
My son
(what’s that I hear you say, never work for friends and family 🙈)
The brief
I want something chocolatey with peanut butter. Not the most detailed brief, though I have worked to equally vague expressions of direction on occasions.
Research
Always important, often overlooked. Whether you have lived experience of the product or sector or not, putting in time to understand the client, their sector, the trends within it and the potential pitfalls, saves a lot of embarrassment further down the line. This project is for a bespoke product, so finding a trusted source for a successful recipe was crucial – thank you Sally’sBakingRecipes – https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/
Partners
Selecting the other people that I would work with in order to produce the finished piece. In this case I went to some long established connections within my network, brands that I know and trust, including British Sugar, Local free range eggs, Sainsbury’s British milk and dairy products. I also worked with a couple other experts within their fields, including Green & Black’s Cocoa and Meridian Peanut Butter. Selected not only for the quality of their products, but also for their sustainability.
Design and development
The nuts and bolts of making something from nothing. In this instance the client wanted a cake, so I was working in my kitchen with tools, mixer and an oven.
There were several stages involved with each part of the project – from sourcing ingredients to mixing, materials and equipment. Then onwards into production, taste testing (most important), design and development, presentation and delivery, using skills that I have honed over many years.
Delivery
Today is the birthday, a very important 8th birthday to be precise and the client is over the moon, but some of that enthusiasm could be the sugar rush 😂
When I’m not baking cakes, I’m designing and developing brands. My day-to-day work involves many processes that are similar to the list above. If you’re looking to develop your brand, connect with people, sharing human values, talk to me, I’d love to help.
Busy as AB 