Aaaaaand we’re back! And I’m so excited to give you an interview with the gorgeous, lovely and inspiring Emma from Scrumptious Bakes by Emma! I have been known for my sweet tooth all my life, happily choosing to have just desserts instead of ‘proper’ meals and, in a dream world, I would live off just pancakes alone. On my big day, I’m sure a lot of time will be spent dreaming over lavish dessert tables, overflowing with anything from crumbles, to macarons, and in the centre of it all, the CAKE. One of my favourite photos from my parents wedding (and a staple in most wedding albums around the world), is that classic, timeless cake cutting prom-style image. It marks the celebration of the day, it flags to all the party is about to begin! One of my big wants for this blog was to feature someone who brings all your cake dreams to life, and I’m so excited to be able to write about and share Emma’s incredible and inspiring story - I am sure you’ll fall in love with her as much as I have.

A quick look at her Instagram and you’ll find a pastel creme-covered dream, and its filled with ideas and beautiful creations - be sure to follow her (links at the bottom of the interview), but be warned! I take no responsibility for the mad sugar cravings that may occur…

Photography - @wearetheclakes / Florist - @edenblooms / Venue - @millbridgecourt

Firstly, please introduce yourself!
Hello! I’m Emma and my business, Scrumptious Bakes by Emma, is based in Herriard, a village in Hampshire. We design and deliver irresistibly elegant wedding and occasion cakes, macaron towers, macarons, cupcakes and personalised cookies across Hampshire, Surrey, West Sussex, South West London, Wiltshire, Berkshire, the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Dorset and beyond.
Our contemporary classic aesthetic is imbued with subtle luxury and timeless style, and we are renowned for our exceptional ingredients and decadent touches. Working in partnership with our clients, each of our creations is heartfelt and thoughtfully designed. We blend an understanding of our clients’ tastes and vision with our dedication to perfection, and translate this into beautiful showpieces to make the most special of occasions even more memorable.

Why and how did you get started?
I started my business in June 2018, 16 months into recovery from a life-changing injury. In January 2017, my sacroiliac joints, pelvis, lumbar spine (L1-L5), sacrum and coccyx were injured in an accident. I had little to no feeling from waist down, and severe nerve, soft tissue and muscle damage. I was lucky enough to be supported by some brilliant people during my recovery, and spent 15 months learning to walk and load my body again with a flotation belt in a pool; half a width to start with, progressing gradually to full lengths, and then the same with swimming.
As I became stronger and could stand again, baking became a way for me to reconnect with my body, mind and soul. I have always found baking very mindful and easily lose myself in kneading soft dough or gently scooping and folding macaron batter. Baking for family and friends initially gave me a sense of purpose; a clear, achievable goal and focus, which helped to relieve the trials of chronic pain and rehabilitation. It helped me to re-discover a sense of identity, to feel pride, to feel empowered. It rebuilt my self- confidence.
I found the concept of beginning my own business simultaneously exhilarating and challenging. Stimulating my mind was equally as important to my recovery as each physical step, and dreaming about my business, and how it would look and feel gave me hope and strength. I have always loved baking, and fell in love with it as a small child in my grandma Barb’s kitchen in the beautiful Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire. I loved rubbing soft flour into creamy butter for crumbles with rhubarb from the garden, stirring warm, treacly syrup into oats for sticky flapjack and letting my imagination run wild icing colourful ‘Catherine Wheel’ biscuits on crisp November evenings.
I was also privileged to learn from my mum, Sally, a former Michelin starred chef, and my Grandad, Gordon, an experienced master baker. My Grandad taught for many years and won lots of awards for his work. His ‘Hot Bread Shop’ was famous for the queues that used to form outside. Four generations of my family, including my great, great Grandad George and my great grandma, Nanny May, have been professional bakers and confectioners. I feel very fortunate to be following in their footsteps and am so proud of all my business has achieved so far.

Describe your style in 3 words!
Contemporary, classic, luxurious.

What was your first ever wedding cake like?
My first wedding cake was for family friends, Mike and Grace, who got married in Tetbury in the Cotswolds on a hot summer’s day. They chose an organic Madagascan vanilla and salted caramel naked wedding cake, decorated with fresh summer berries and fresh flowers. My dad and Mike often work together, and dad came to stay the day before to give me a hand with the baking. We worked late into the night so the cake was as fresh as possible, had a few hours sleep and left early the next morning so we had plenty of time to deliver it and set it up.
Seeing the cake in situ was such a euphoric feeling, and I was absolutely thrilled that Mike and Grace loved their cake!

What’s the biggest lesson you have learnt along the way?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned along the way is to build in time to rest and recover.

Highlight of your career (so far)!
I was thrilled to be invited by British Vogue to feature in their luxury ‘Match Made in Vogue’ wedding campaign
across their iconic September, October and November 2020 publications.

One bit of advice you’d give to your couples when it comes to planning a wedding and planning their sweet treats…
I recommend creating a spreadsheet to keep track of your planning, guest list, suppliers and dates.
There can be lots to think about and being organised helps to keep the process as enjoyable and relaxed as possible.
When it comes to your wedding cake/macaron tower, consider how many guests you would like to serve, and any favourite flavours you’d like to include. Your centrepiece is a fabulous way to make a statement and can be dressed beautifully to reflect your theme and bring different elements of your wedding together. Following Instagram hashtags that relate to the type of wedding you’d like can be a great source of creative inspiration (for example #bohowedding, #luxewedding), and Pinterest is fabulous for ideas too. Feel free to have a look at our boards - @scrumptiousbakesbyemma.

What’s a big wedding cake trend you predict for 2021?
Wedding cake designs that incorporate cake spacers (to separate tiers) are very on-trend at the moment. Prop Options (@prop.options) has lots of inspiration on their Instagram feed. Designs that incorporate dried flower decoration are also likely to be a big trend for 2021, not least because of their sustainability.
I love the designs by Fawn and Folk (@fawn_and_folk_).

What are your hopes and dreams for the future?
I would love for my business to be able to offer training, employment and a community to those who have been disadvantaged by the cycles of poverty, violence, homelessness or any number of other factors. I really admire Luminary Bakery (@luminarybakery) and how they provide a safe and professional environment where women can grow holistically, encouraging ambition, restoration and second chances.

What does a typical day in your life look like?
I’m an early morning person, and love to wake up with yoga before getting started in the kitchen if it’s a baking day, or working on admin. I find stretching on my mat really helps me to connect with my body and focus on my priorities for the day ahead.
If I’m baking, starting around 5am and working through until the early hours is quite normal, so that everything is as fresh as possible. The smell is quite incredible!

What’s your favourite part of your job?
My favourite bit about Scrumptious Bakes is using my Grandad’s perfectly balanced palette knives, knowing their gently worn wooden handles have put the finishing touches to countless wedding cakes designs before. I just love bringing dreams to life.

And finally, what does your dream wedding dessert table look like?
Lots of delicate, melt-in-the-mouth macarons, light, soft sponges and marbled sugar cookies, amongst beautiful,
relaxed fresh flower arrangements with lots of movement.

Thank you so so so much to Emma for being a part of Supplier Spotlight, and sharing so much - I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did, so inspiring, and I hope one day my florals can adorn one of your creations.
You can find her website and Instagram below - give her a follow and say hey!

www.scrumptiousbakes.com

@scrumptiousbakesbyemma

Supplier Spotlight - Scrumptious Bakes By Emma