Cake! magazine by Australian Cake Decorating Network November 2014 | Page 89

A bride should consider the size of
their venue as the cake will need to
stand out as a centrepiece, as well as
the number of guests it needs to feed
and any special dietary requirements
that she needs to cater for. A bride
should also consider where and when
they plan to cut the cake, will the cake
be served as dessert, served later
with coffee or given as favours, this
may affect the fillings that are chosen.
When it comes to choosing their
filling, it may not be possible to please
everybody so I always suggest opting
for a different flavour for each tier?
Most of my brides opt for a selection
of different fillings to keeps things fun
yet maintain tradition with a traditional
fruit cake for the top tier to keep for the
Christening.
I encourage my customers to go with
their first instinct, not to try and please
everyone as its impossible, but just
be true to themselves and their vision
for the day. hen it comes to cake, one
should follow their heart rather than
their head. 
You are well known for stunning and
elegant wedding cakes, pretty pastels,
gorgeous floral cakes, as well as
perfectly decorated sugar cookies.
Is this style something you have have
purposefully worked on creating as
your signature style, or did it just
evolve?
I think I gave the industry a young,
fresh take on traditional sugar craft.
I took traditional wedding cake
styles which can be quite fussy and
overstated, and simplified the designs
giving them a modern graphic look, yet
maintaining an understated elegance.
I also raised the bar when it came
to iced cookies and cupcakes, my
cookies are hand-piped perfection
and my cupcakes are no ordinary
frosted sponge. They are gourmet
cupcakes, made usin g only the finest
ingredients with complex recipes and
decadent touches. I think my cakes
refocused the industry on taste and
the quality of ingredients used, it’s no
longer acceptable for a cake to be
exceptional to look at but filled with dry
sponge or heavy fruitcake. 
I’ve learned how important it is to
keep creative and to develop your
style, always learning and using new
techniques, you have to keep evolving
in order to stay on top of your game,
but equally be very careful to stay true
to your signature look and feel, never
be tempted to imitate others.

Has your success in the cake
decorating industry been gradual or
are there a couple of specific moments
or events that you feel propelled your
business?

Opening your Parlour must have been
a big step for you. How did you come
to the decision to open the Peggy
Porschen Parlour?

The Peggy Porschen Parlour opened
in London’s Belgravia in October 2010.
My inspiration was taken from a mix
Obviously commissions from Elton
of a European/French style patisserie
John and for Stella McCartney’s
with a ‘New England Touch’. The aim
wedding cake which came relatively
was for the Parlour not to be a version
early on in my career were notable
of someone else’s but for it to have
highlights, however, the most
its own identity. The experience we
significant milestone for me was
are hoping to provide is one of cake
definitely my first book ‘Pretty Party
heaven. We want our visitors to enter
Cakes’. It defined me as a cake
the ‘Peggy pink’ and chocolate brown
designer and was a true reflection of
shop, to instantly be hit by the baking
exactly what I had set out to become.
smells which are coming up the stairs
from our onsite kitchen, to gaze around
What was the best advice given to you and be inspired by the various cake
when you started your business?
creations that decorate the shop and
to taste something incredibly delicious.
Not only that, but cake-makers can
stock up on Peggy Porschen baking
accessories, recipe books, polka-dot
pinnies and a selection of delicious
cake fillings to try at home with their
own cakes. I’d like to think that it has
become a cake destination in London
and I love that people come from far
and wide to visit and share their love of
cakes and baking. The addition of the
Peggy Porschen Academy, London’s
first cookery school entirely dedicated
to baking and cake decorating, which
We’re sure you’ve learnt a lot of
business and life lessons since starting sits just across the road from the
Parlour has also helped to create an
out in the industry. If you could give
inspirational and exciting atmosphere.
your younger self 3 tips or pieces of
advice, what would they be?

"Be prepared for a
lot of hard work,
to be patient,
dedicated and
resilient in order to
achieve success" 

My advice to somebody thinking about
starting their own business is before
anything else, to study business, to get
a good grounding and understanding
in order to formalise their company
from the outset.
Be confident and don’t undervalue
your time and skill. Cake Makers are
often criticised for charging high
prices for their product, but I think
it’s important to compare our craft to
that of a tailor or even a plumber for
example, who charge far higher prices
without question.
When you turn your hobby and passion
into a business, it’s easy to lose that
important work/life balance. I can
get very consumed with the business
and it’s difficult to find the head
space needed to keep creating and
setting trends - so its very important
to be aware of this and make time for
creativity.

After the success of your Parlour in
Belgravia, do you have plans to open
another parlour, either in the UK or
abroad?
I don’t have any immediate plans to
expand but it is certainly something I
would love to do in the future.