So, tell us what inspired you to get this off the ground?
Well, apart from joinery I have been making cakes for years and love making mad designs, cakes that you would not think possible. This is my passion and that’s why I put lots of work into my cakes, knowing this I wanted to move on in life and do something I enjoy, so after a lot of chatting with my partner I started The Cake Factory.
What did you do prior to this?
I am a Foreman for a joinery company. Yes, a weird transition you may think but it actually comes in handy as I use these skills to make large structures and base framing to some of my larger cakes. That’s why at Cake Factory we can go big, but as this is a new business I still have to work doing joinery.
Did that teach you any lessons that helped you succeed? Just to work hard and that every job you do you make it to the best quality and if you supply a great product people will be loyal and come back because without your customers you have no business! Plus, if it’s just a passion only leave it as a part time fun thing to do don’t get your heart involved in business.
What’s the hardest lesson you’ve learnt since starting the business?
Underestimating the amount of work involved to start a business and that apart from JBV (Jersey Business Venture), who were a great help. There’s not much other help out there to local people starting up, also taking into mind the strain on relationships and having support from your partner.
Any funny stories that you have about the business starting out?
Not so far, but as I’m getting stranger and stranger cakes to make there is a lot of potential. Mainly funny hen do and stag cakes!
What are your plans for the future?
To expand the Cake Factory name to an islandwide customer base and open a collection shop in town for every cake event and also to branch out to all of our local corporate businesses, supplying local people with the best, largest cakes in jersey as centrepieces to their events or functions.
What advice would you give towould-be entrepreneurs?
Maybe if you’re starting a new business don’t be scared to work with a joint partner to lighten the load as on your own there’s a lot to do. Don’t let business get personal – it’s about making money. Also, not realising earlier that I could have done this years ago but let myself get intimidated by the thought of starting a business. At least give it a good go, because if it fails you can always get back up and try again, so go for it, you can only learn from your mistakes and gain more knowledge.
Brett Muldoon:
Born – 13th November 1982
School – Le Rocquier School
Uni – Highlands College
First Job – Paper Boy
Car – VW Transporter T5 camper van
Book – The Hobbit (can’t wait for the film
Music – Radiohead (anyone can play guitar)
Film – Has to be Jaws – ‘we’re gonna need a bigger boat’
Gadget – Apple products all the way
Last Holiday – New York
Enjoys – Surfing, snowboarding and wakeboarding
Not many people know… – I’m dyslexic
About the business
Cake Factory is a local business offering a completely unique cake creation service – making the impossible possible. Their speciality is in creating personalised one-off sculptures incorporating joinery as a structural frame, giving the customer the freedom of any shape or size cake. They also have the structural engineering expertise to create self-supporting large scale scupltures from fully edible ingredients of anything from gymnasium equipment to drum kits, houses, instruments and special scenes personalised with your favourite characters in. So if you want moving parts, flames or even running water incorporated in the cake they love a challenge. If you have seen Cake Boss or Ace of Cakes, this is Cake Boss, Jersey style. Our aim is to amaze your guests with a piece that will be talked about, photographed and then, importantly, eaten and enjoyed! Of course, we also offer a fast turnaround on smaller personalised party cakes and individual cupcakes to suit all budgets.
www.cakefactoryjersey.com
