Photo: Wedding at http://www.coombefarmwoods.co.uk/
New week and a new month! The month of romance, I hope you have something nice planned.
This months Eco themed post I wanted to look at the Eco Wedding cake. My husband, declared the other evening, that there was no such thing. However there is, depending on how you source your ingredients. So I am about to prove him wrong and also hopefully get you thinking about another aspect of your wedding that you can make that little bit greener!
While on twitter I “met” Clare Neilson who is the founder of Conscious Confections. The company was created after her lecture told her she would have to create her perfect job and with help from a Business Bootcamp (hosted by MMU Centre for Enterprise) Conscious Confections was born. Her first two clients wanted wedding cakes. She said “ I agreed to do both but then discovered they were both due the same week! It was a bit stressful, but I delivered both cakes on time. “Made of Honour” was such a perfect name (I love a good pun) that there was no other option.”
So what makes a wedding cake eco-friendly? Claire allows customers to specify any ethical ingredients they want. Fair-trade, organic, local and national produce are all options. Her advice is, “don’t let recipes confuse you with the phrase “good quality ingredients.” – that doesn’t tell you much. I’d rather have British grown and milled flour than slightly better flour that’s travelled miles from Canada. Conversely, I’m happy to use fair-trade brown sugar as much as possible for chocolate cakes and biscuits, and British caster for lighter cakes. It supports the national and global economies at the same time.”
Another aspect to consider is the size and packaging of both the cake and the ingredients. When Clare attended the Cake and Bake shows in both Manchester and London, and she could not believe the size of some of the cupcakes and pastries intended for one person – they were huge! From an environmental perspective: single use, non-recycled plastic cases for these creations were a huge waste of money and resources. She couldn’t find any of the widely available compostable plastics at the show. Thinking about the portion size will reduce waste. A 4 tier cake for a wedding with only 50 people might be a bit excessive. Get your cake maker to guide you about size.
So are you baking at home and would like so top tips? Here is what Clare has to say.
Photo: Clare Neilson
“Home-made is best. Only you know what you like and only you know what you would be happy putting in a cake. Free-range eggs give a lovely pale yellow colour to the sponge. If you know anyone with chickens, use those eggs, and remember to thank the hard working ladies with some of your leftovers. Patience is a virtue: Beat the fat and sugar as much as possible before you add the egg (it makes a higher volume mixture which holds the egg better) before you finally fold in the flour.”
To find out more about Eco Cakes do contact Clare!
Email cake.neilson@gmail.com for Made of Honour celebration cake enquires and quotes.
Tweet @Made_Of_Honour
Email clare@consciousconfections.co.uk for business to business enquires, cycling logistics and sustainable business practices.
Tweet @c_confec
www.consciousconfections.co.uk for online gallery, blog and delivery area.
