List of allergens

---

I am very lucky that my small business is now an incredibly busy one. On many days I am in the kitchen for 12 hours at a time, and my fridges have often become a game of tetras by Saturday morning.  I have come to the decision that it is no longer possible for me to guarantee a zero risk of trace contamination of eggs, dairy, gluten or coconut in particular in any of my baking. Unless I have been made aware of an allergy, traces of soya may also be present.

If you have a more severe allergy to consider, it is vital to tell me at the beginning of the order process, even if you have ordered from me before (I have a lot of happy return customers and it is not always possible to remember all of their details). If you are anaphylactic to peanuts, for example, I can accommodate this happily. But if you have a severe response to the other allergens listed above then I may not be able to accept your booking. This is not a decision I have taken lightly, but rather with the safety of my customers in mind as well as the viability of my own business.

I will always tell you if I put nuts or nut products in my recipes, but many of the products I use (including colourings, fondant and sprinkles) come with the disclaimer that they may contain traces of nuts and other allergens. If you have a severe allergy, we will need to discuss alternatives. 

Thank you for your understanding.

Please let me know the severity of your allergy at the point of every booking (eg "intolerance but traces are fine", vs Coeliac disease or anaphylactic response)

I try to accommodate nearly all INTOLERANCES, including dairy and gluten, and I have some wonderful VEGAN recipes for those living a vegan lifestyle or who wish to avoid eggs.  Unfortunately, I am not able to bake cakes which are simultaneously gluten-free and vegan. Not all flavours are possible in these special diets so it’s best to get in touch early to discuss options.  

If you are vegetarian or require a cake which is Halal, it is important to mention this at the point of ordering as many of the prettiest pinks, purples and blues contain E120 (Carmine) which is not a vegetarian pigment and not Halal. Many of my sprinkles contain E120 as well as shellac (again, not vegetarian and my research has been inconclusive as to whether it is Halal) and some contain fish gelatine.

I do not bake with sugar replacements, but I am happy to provide nutritional information for those who require it.

Please note that I charge a 10% surcharge for vegan, dairy-free or gluten-free baking. This covers the higher price of many of the ingredients and also for the additional care I take to ensure minimise the risk of cross contamination.  

I only use the best quality ingredients: organic flour, fair trade sugar, cocoa, and chocolate extract, free range eggs, organic vanilla extract (NEVER essences),  and real butter.  

I take all possible steps to minimise my plastic waste - even when this is more time consuming - and pay extra for compostable piping bags.

I accept fewer orders than some other bakers because I am a perfectionist: I can't rush what I do.  Even my smallest cakes take a hours of hands-on time, starting from the order process: I assume you wouldn't want it any other way?