Another half baked idea

Maybe if graffiti artists had better hand writing, the world would be a nicer place

More Tea Vicar?

A few months ago it transpired that my friend, Antoinette, had been asked to provide a few sweetmeats to celebrate the induction of a new vicar at her church. Being an ex-Brownie and a fairy (cake) at that, I said I would lend a hand; also in the spirit of inter-faith goodwill I thought it would do no harm. Well, Netty had got a little carried away and must have been baking until the cows came home (for the milk and butter) and all her chickens came home to roost (for the eggs). I got the job of cutting two very large rich fruit cakes into about 72 pieces (crumbs!) and dividing many a sponge into portions - I'm not known as Mac the Knife for nothing. Well I will try and list all the cakes and I'm sure she will correct me if I'm omit anything but here goes:

• Fruit cake (dark and golden)
• Welsh Cakes (with and without gluten)
• Courgette and lime
• Toffee Coffee
• Lemon Drizzle
• Madelines
• Almond Muffins with Rose decorations
• Banana and Walnut
• Victoria Sandwich Cakes (Blackcurrant, Apricot and Chocolate)
• Other Gluten Free constructions

After all that cutting and plating, the sevice started with assorted bishops, deans, and mayors and lieutenants of the county. Being of the Roman persuasion I was surprised at this large civic presence and by the allegience to the Monarch etc but remembering the history I suppose I should have been prepared for that. No kneeling, no incense not many bells but all in all a touching service and the vicar - A LADY - seemed a good sort.

As with any denomination as soon as the last hymn starts those who are doing the refreshments dive for the door to get the food uncovered and the drinks poured before the usual merry making and all the socialising begins. After an hour or so its time to start the clearing up but had Netty taken notice of the previous entry, How to run a cake stall? She had not!! No rubbish bags! So poor old Louis had to go home to get some; the poor soul had been backwards and forwards so much that day that he nearly lost his head. Anyway, I have now reached the Higher Level band 2 for table clearing using only a black bin bag and a paper plate. Eventaually all was done and everybody agreed that it was a truly splendid occassion.

Note. Sandwiches by Kerry of Footscray, just in case you thought it was only cake.
I reached home, tired and with cake cutters back, to be greeted by her indoors:"What time do you call this? I've told you about staying up late on a school night!" Me 53, Her 24 (years old)
Thanks Netty, it was a lot of fun. What's next? We will have to see what fate has in store.

How to Run a Cake Stall

Obviously you need cakes but we will come to that another time , but here we go.

1. A nice big table

2. A nice big table cloth. Paper will do or even a plain coloured cotton sheet

3. Paper plates , bags, labels, tongs, rubbish bag, lots of small change, (Your first customer will buy one muffin for 30p and offer you £20 note, I think that they hope you will just give them the cake to go away), pot for money - the margarine container you emptied whilst making the cakes is good, the egg box less so. An apron to wear (optional) but make sure you have clean easily washable clothes on. Hair tidy and clean hands

4. Customers! Advertise your sale at least a week in advance. Posters, flyers notice in local newsletter, paper etc

5. Get as many people as you can to bake a cake(s) for you so that there is a wide selection. Try and get some idea of what the person will make. 300 choc chip muffins is not my idea of a selection and a selection is not burnt/undercooked some the dog chewed and some my brother poked with a pencil all different but not what I had in mind.

7. If you helped with a cake sale you will know what sells well so make a good choice and make a few of say 4 different kinds. Some cakes sell better at different times of year sponges in the summer and fruit cake in winter.

8. Pricing, always a thorny problem. From the practical point of view only price in round amounts eg. 20p, 40p, £1, £1.20 etc. Don't undersell yourself. Look at the item and think "would I pay 40p for that muffin? Yes. 60p? Yes. 70p? No", so 60p is probably right. For larger cakes I take a base line of a one pound sized loaf shaped plain cake such as a lemon drizzle or seek advice from someone you know who has done it before and has a practical grasp of the real world and you can always reduce the prices if thing don't sell.[ ;-) ]. Also if you have small cakes at say 30p put four on a plate and sell them for a £1, people like to feel they are getting a bargain and they were really only going to buy 3 and you have made them spend more already.

9. Ready? GO! You will be swamped with customers and everything will have gone in 30 mins, 40 max.

10. Beware of a) small children with sticky fingers who will paw everything and b) people who say "oooo that's dear I'll give you a £1 (for a £2.50 cake), you won't sell that at that price" be polite and say "Come back at the end and we'll see", they won't and you won't have any thing left anyway (they are probably the owners of the children with the sticky paws.

11. Go home and count the money, wash all clothes which will be sticky and stained with chocolate and have a nice cup of tea and a McVite's chocolate digestive or anything you have not made!