high end pastries
Posted by tiffer on Jun 10, 2010 · Member since Feb 2005 · 1 posts
I'm a new pastry chef looking to start a business. I currently work in a high end patisserie. We do not offer vegan cakes but often get many inquires. I am wondering.....if you had access to a vegan patisserie would you pay the price for those desserts ($30=6inch cake)? To make it clear the type of work I do is more like art.....no home baked looking product. Just trying to get a general idea from people of all walks of life and location. Thanks
Would I pay? No. I am fully capable of cranking out professional bakery level confections from past culinary training.
Would other people pay? Sure. But you really need to make sure that the community you are in has enough vegan people to support it.
I see BC in your profile. If that is Vancouver, then yes, I think you do have a large enough community. If you are in something like Kamloops or Prince George, then personally I wouldn't risk it.
If you can pull off wedding cake decorating - or even just really nice birthday cakes - then you have a leg up as vegan wedding cake companies are tragically rare - especially if you are at this kind of level: http://weddings.theknot.com/gallery/gallery_results.aspx?gallery=18
Personally what I would try first is setting up a decent looking website with a numerous photographic examples and explain that you are a small company that doesn't have a storefront, but you can deliver anywhere in town. Advertise in the paper and on Craigslist, and make up some business cards. Whenever someone asks for a vegan cake, give them a card. If after 6 months to a year you have a decent following, then spring for a full on store. Alternatively, go for a cafe/bakery arrangement and then make sure your customers know you are a full service bakery as well. Here is a local example of this that has become very successful using that model and has a cult following: Sweetpea Vegan Bakery. I am planning on starting my own version of this type down the road, but with an internet cafe sort of flair.
If you are in Vancouver, the only thing you really have to compete with is Edible Flour's, but they really don't have anything in the way of cakish confections. So to that end, you would have the market cornered. That said, I would worry a little bit as that is the only thing to really compete with and I wonder if Vancouver really has enough vegans to support it. It would probably be better to set your brand image up as "Allergen Free" and be able to cater to anyone with any kind of allergy, and just so happen to not use animal products in the process.
Sweetpea came to the animal rights conference in LA a couple years back. I looooove them. I bought too much stuff =)
Sweatpea from Portland? I didn't know they traveled. ???
I wish I had a professional cake decorator around here that made vegan cakes for special occasions. I'd like to get a nice looking cake for my daughters birthday for example. Delicious I can do, but not pretty. Beyond that, most of the schools require a cake/cupcakes/snacks to be sealed in a box or a bakery package to be able to serve them in school. Homemade goodies aren't allowed to be distributed to the class.
I'd agree with this. I'm thinking that if I ever get married, and if it's around where we are now, I'd have to make my own cake. I can bake like mad, but I can't decorate to save my life! So, I'd say yes for a wedding, but I'd never spend that much otherwise. I'm just not classy enough, I guess.
Sweatpea from Portland? I didn't know they traveled. ???
yup. i was hoping they'd be back last year, but it was just in '07.
You can buy a sheetcake for $30 even $20 bucks really.
For weddings, special birthdays and things like that, it's definitely worth it.
you could always discuss the price with the person buying the cake and if they don't sound too privy to it, either don't make it or negotiate a better price.
I love cake as much as the next person, but no matter what it looked like, $30 is a lot of money for a 6" cake. That seems so tiny to me. I think money is an issue for many people and most are looking to get the biggest bang for their buck so to speak. I also love to bake and would rather do it myself because to me it's more special to give my family. For a wedding cake, I might consider it, especially if it tasted REALLY yummy. Good luck in your business. I am sure your cakes are lovely. :)
Here's the thing, you're asking a bunch of vegans who love to cook if they'd pay $30 for a gorgeous vegan cake. VegWebbers bake. A lot.
I wonder if people who are inquiring are omni's who are trying to get a vegan friendly cake to share with vegan friends, or if they are vegan themselves and not confident enough in their baking skills to share a cake with their friends. Or if they just have a rare special occasion. I think that's the question you should ask to determine the size of your market in your area.
Well put--this lot of vegans is certainly pretty high on the baking charts--we might not be the target audience *lol*
Like a lot of people said though--show us some pictures so we can get an idea of what you are talking about!! I think we are all really curious now to see what your cakes look like (and if we can imitate them!!)
i'm pretty sure i've bought a 6" (maybe 12") cake for 30$ at vegan treats before. it was for a birthday! very special. they also do invidiual cakes maybe about 3 inches for 5$. super good!
http://www.vegantreats.com/
As long as you REALLY bring on the taste and product quality, yes! I agree with Amy, also.
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