Cakery Wonderland Unveils Luxury Handbag Collection: Where High Fashion Meets Exquisite Taste

Prepare to be captivated by the latest innovation from Cakery Wonderland, the award-winning creators of extraordinary culinary experiences. Today, they announce the launch of their Luxury Handbag Collection, a stunning fusion of high fashion and delectable treats, designed to elevate the at-home afternoon tea experience.

This groundbreaking collection is one of the first projects from Cakery Wonderland's newly formed "Food Imagineering" team. "We wanted to elevate the entire afternoon tea experience," says [Your Name], founder of Cakery Wonderland. "The packaging had to reflect the ritual and status that afternoon tea holds in British society. Why shouldn't the packaging be as much a part of the experience as the food itself?"

Indeed, recent studies show a significant rise in the popularity of at-home afternoon teas. According to [Source - e.g., Breast Cancer Now research], 67% of Brits plan to indulge in an afternoon tea this year, with Millennials and Gen Z leading the trend. This highlights a growing desire for luxurious and convenient ways to enjoy this beloved tradition at home.

Tasked with developing innovative packaging concepts for their first range of direct-to-consumer products for Christmas 2024, the team conceived the wildly successful Macaron Handbags. These elegant handbags, each containing three luxury gift boxes filled with hand-piped macarons, were an instant hit, selling over 1000 units.

Building on this success, Cakery Wonderland has expanded the collection to include a range of luxurious afternoon tea experiences:

• Valentine's Day Afternoon Tea Handbag: A romantic indulgence for two, featuring a selection of delectable savories, delicate sweets, and their signature light-as-air scones.
• Mother's Day Afternoon Tea Handbag: A tribute to elegance, filled with handcrafted treats fit for a queen, perfect for celebrating the special women in your life.
• Easter Afternoon Tea Handbag: A festive feast of Easter-themed delights, brimming with savory bites, sweet treats, and a touch of boozy indulgence.

In addition to these exquisite afternoon tea experiences, the collection also includes:

• Valentine's Sweet Treat Handbag: A decadent assortment of six treat boxes filled with boozy love hearts fudge, iced and vanilla heart shortbreads, macarons, and handmade French chocolate truffles.
• Luxury Square Easter Egg and Handbag Box: A show-stopping Easter creation featuring a 14cm handmade Easter egg filled with lavish champagne truffles.

Royal Ascot Exclusive:

Just in time for the prestigious Royal Ascot, Cakery Wonderland is also creating an exclusive afternoon tea handbag designed specifically for Ladies Day. This limited-edition handbag will be the epitome of elegance and sophistication, featuring a curated selection of the finest treats to complement the day's festivities.

A Feast for the Senses

"Our Handbag Collection is where culinary artistry meets high fashion," adds [Your Name]. "These handbags are designed to delight the senses and create an unforgettable experience."

More Than Just a Meal

Cakery Wonderland's Luxury Handbag Collection is more than just a meal; it's a statement. It's a testament to the brand's commitment to innovation, quality, and social responsibility. With each purchase, customers are not only indulging in a luxurious experience but also contributing to the fight against food poverty.

The Purpose-Driven Entrepreneur Tackling Food Poverty in London

He's been called a "culinary visionary" and the "nation's sweetest Sugar Daddy." But beyond the witty monikers, Greg Wixted is a force to be reckoned with in the world of purpose-driven business. As the founder of Tastes Good Does Good Group, he's proving that social impact and business success can go hand in hand.

Tayla Rachman sat down with Greg Wixted to discuss his journey, his innovative business model, and his ambitious vision for the future.

Q: What inspired you to start Tastes Good Does Good Group?

GW: I've always believed that businesses have a responsibility to make a difference. When the pandemic hit, I was deeply troubled by its devastating impact on communities and the alarming rise of food insecurity. Did you know that in London alone, 1.5 million people, including 1 in 6 children, struggle to access enough food? I knew I had to be part of the solution. That's when I decided to build a business that not only created delicious food experiences but also gave back in a meaningful way.

Q: Your business model is quite unique. Can you tell us more about it?

GW: It's about creating a sustainable ecosystem of positive change. We dedicate 15% of our revenue to fighting food poverty by supporting food charities and incubating new food businesses. We then gift up to 75% ownership of these businesses to aspiring entrepreneurs from disadvantaged backgrounds, empowering them to build their own success while contributing to a greater purpose. It's about breaking the cycle of poverty and creating a more equitable food system.

Q: You've achieved a lot in a short time. What are you most proud of?

GW: I'm incredibly proud of the impact we've made in just 28 months. We've donated over 4 tonnes of food and £16k of equipment. We've created five businesses, all with growing revenue. We're an AQA-certifying training center and have served over 23,000 customers at 350 truly memorable events. We've saved 1090kg of food waste from landfill, gained our Good Business Charter accreditation and Living Wage Foundation accreditation, and saved our customers £105,000 in hire charges as part of our customer promise.

But beyond the numbers, it's the stories of the people we've helped that truly matter. Meeting young chefs who believe in our purpose and want to build a better future for themselves and their families is incredibly rewarding. And knowing that we're contributing to a larger movement towards addressing food insecurity is truly humbling.

Q: Do you consider yourself a catalyst for global change?

GW: While I wouldn't call myself a catalyst for global change, I'd like to think I've inspired others to think beyond profit and embrace a purpose-driven approach to business. I believe I've created an innovative and sustainable business model that can be a powerful catalyst for change. With each new business and entrepreneur nurtured through this model, the movement gains momentum, amplifying its impact on communities and the world. I would love to inspire large, global food brands to adopt a similar purpose-driven approach. I believe this would be the tipping point for real, lasting change in the fight against food inequality, creating a world where everyone has access to nutritious food and opportunities to thrive.

Q: You're also passionate about education. Tell us about the new training centre you're setting up.

GW: Sharing my knowledge and experience with aspiring entrepreneurs is something I'm truly passionate about. I've been a lecturer at the University of North Carolina since 2018 and have used that experience, along with our mission at Britain Loves Baking, to develop the training center. Our mission is to arm the nation's kids living in poverty with the skills to bake for free and to teach kids more about where their food comes from.

But how could we teach 4.3 million kids to bake? That's when we came up with the idea to provide free professional bakery courses to teachers, youth workers, community leaders, youth leaders, and food charity volunteers so they could teach kids to bake. We will also fund free community, church, and after-school-based baking clubs. This is part of our holistic approach to social impact. For me, true success lies in scaling this and creating a positive ripple effect that benefits local communities, the nation, and the world.

Q: You've done a lot in a short space of time – what were the biggest challenges you faced or are facing?

GW: The three biggest challenges we faced were skepticism about my motives, finding the right partners, and getting advice and support. Many questioned why any business would want to give so much away. "No one sets up a business to give it all away," they'd say. But that's not true. You only have to look at Patagonia, which has become a shining example of a purpose-driven company, proving that prioritizing social and environmental responsibility can go hand-in-hand with business success.

We spent a lot of time asking ourselves if we were doing this the right way, until we were offered support from the amazing team at the Selby Trust, who are helping us with our structure, setting the foundations for scaling the idea, and providing grants to help us do this.

Q: What do you think the answer to food poverty is?

GW:  More collective responsibility and a much bigger effort from everyone in the food industry. I believe we have a shared responsibility, and I think that if you want to start or are operating a food company, you should be mandated to make a scaled contribution of up to 1% of revenue to ending food insecurity and poverty. This creates a system where fighting hunger becomes a core part of doing business in the food industry and would have a huge impact and benefits, including:

• Massive and sustainable funding: to create an ever-increasing pool of funds dedicated to addressing food poverty. As the food industry grows, so would the contributions, ensuring a sustainable flow of resources.
• Universal participation: Requiring every food company to contribute creates a sense of shared responsibility across the industry, from small local businesses to multinational corporations.
• Incentive for growth: Linking contributions to company growth could incentivize companies to expand their operations and innovate, knowing that their success would also contribute to fighting hunger.
• Focus on prevention: With a steady stream of funding, the focus could shift from solely addressing immediate needs to investing in long-term solutions and preventative measures in sustainable agriculture, economic development, and education and empowerment.

But to make this work, we need to change the influence of shareholders over corporate decision-making. In many publicly traded companies, the pressure to maximize shareholder value often takes precedence over other considerations. There would need to be a shift in focus from solely maximizing shareholder value to a more holistic approach that considers the interests of all stakeholders, from employees and consumers to communities and the planet.

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?

GW:  Find your passion, identify a need, and build a business that makes a difference. Don't be afraid to take risks, learn from your mistakes, and surround yourself with a great team. And most importantly, never lose sight of your purpose and put processes in place that ensure that the business never loses sight of its purpose and obligations. That is my biggest fear—what will happen when I am gone?

Press Statement In Response To Barclays Food Bank Suggestion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Barclays' Food Bank Suggestion: A PR Disaster That Could Cost Charities £260 Million Daily

LONDON – February 2nd – Tastes Good Does Good condemns Barclays UK's astonishing suggestion that its 20 million customers turn to food banks during a weekend IT outage. This tone-deaf response reveals a shocking ignorance of food poverty's severity and the vital role of food banks.

"It's outrageous," says Greg Wixted, Founder and CEO of Tastes Good Does Good. "A £42.7 billion bank passing the buck to food charities is unacceptable. They're effectively taking food from the mouths of the nation's poorest families."

Directing millions to food banks for Barclays' own failings could cost charities an estimated £260 million per day, based on DWP figures. This influx would cripple already stretched resources, leading to shortages and closures, severely impacting the 7.2 million people reliant on these services.

"How will Barclays foot this £260 million daily bill?" Wixted asks. "Food banks are a lifeline, not a contingency plan for banking glitches."

Barclays' suggestion also demonstrates a profound misunderstanding of how food banks operate. Most, including those run by the Trussell Trust (with whom Barclays has a partnership), require referrals from professionals, not just a desperate customer.

"This PR nightmare risks doing more damage to Barclays' reputation than the initial IT glitch," Wixted warns. "They should apologize to food charities and commit 1% of their revenue to fighting food poverty."

Tastes Good Does Good, a purpose-driven food and hospitality group, dedicates 15% of its revenue to combating food poverty, supporting charities, and empowering entrepreneurs from disadvantaged backgrounds. They believe in putting people before profits, a stark contrast to Barclays' insensitive and irresponsible actions.

NOTES TO EDITORS

For further comment or to speak to Greg Wixted please contact; Tayla Rachmann, [email protected] whats app & mobile 07753930936. Office 0208 323 1118.

ABOUT TASTES GOOD DOES GOOD

Misson and purpose focused by donating ingredients and equipment to food charities and funding incubated food ideas using 15% of their revenue.  Once these ideas are up, running, growing, and cash-positive, we gift up to 75% shareholding to talented chefs and foodies from disadvantaged, have lived experiences backgrounds and the LGBTQ+ community with the condition that the businesses must always follow the same purpose-driven model. Each business gets space in his 2600 sq. ft. production facility for up to a year, along with training, mentoring, supply chain and customer access and marketing know-how.

While many founders focus on profit, they built a business that nourishes people & the planet. Their diverse, inclusive culture fuels the innovation that delivers great food, drives its donations they make & helps them stay relevant to their loyal customers.  They use trends, insights, market & customer data to create new opportunities for growth. All this had led them to become the nation’s first food group to be driven by people, purpose & planet, not profit. In 2.5 yrs they created 4 growing businesses with no debt, won 12 awards, donated 4 tonnes of food & £16,000 of equipment. Gained AQA-certifying training centre status to train 4.3m kids to bake for free. Served 23,000 customers at 350 truly memorable events. Saved 1 ton of event food waste from landfill, gained Good Business Charter and Living Wage Foundation accreditation. Created a foundation entrusted with the 25% retained ownership ensures there commitments to creating a network of purpose driven food businesses in the UK and around the world.

ABOUT THE FOUNDER

Award-winning global food tech FMCG & food entrepreneur, brand & and product innovator, food start-up & and venture architect and part-time academic with over 25 years of management and leadership experience. Over the years have created over half a billion pounds of value by just “getting stuff done”

EXPERIENCE IN 60 SECONDS
Grew and sold my first restaurant venture at 26, spent 20 years at leading global Advertising, Brand, Digital, and food innovation firms in leadership roles, and managed over $100m in revenue> .unleashed a Brand Innovation process “Rapid Entrepreneurial Innovation” to help food companies rapidly create & test, on-trend, F2M ideas, with the quickest up and running in 8 days at the start of Covid 19 a total of 8 start-ups under my belt ventured 6 food brands and created over 50 food and hospitality products, brands and services. Am a professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of North Carolina, now a cookery book writer, and on my 3rd baking book!

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