Ardent Cake Company – Beautiful Bespoke Cakes for Any Occasion

​Ardent Cake Company specialises in creating gorgeous bespoke cakes for any occasion – birthdays, anniversary, weddings, and special occasions. The company offers vegan, gluten-free and diary free options to a range of customers depending on their taste and needs. The beautiful cakes from the company’s bakery has been attracting a lot of reviews from satisfied customers across Hertfordshire. The founder of the company, Liuba Innes filled in Herts Review on the great strides Ardent Cake Company has made in such a short time and the future aspirations of the company.
 
It all really started off as a hobby many years ago. Liuba was 20 years old and expecting at the time. This meant she watched a lot of daytime TV. She came across James Martin, the renowned Chef and TV Personality’s Cookery Series on BBC. She studied the recipes and tried different flavours and has not looked back since. “I developed the capacity to decorate cakes in a unique way so that I can meet any demand, any shape or size. I can make cakes for any occasion. In the past, I have made wedding cakes, cheesecakes, diabetic cakes, nut free cakes amongst others.
 
Indeed, it was a request in 2013 from a diabetic customer for a sugar free cake that triggered the idea of the Ardent Cake Company. Liuba had been running a separate cake business, Sans Foods,  that focused on convenience on-the-go food. With that business, she has sold cakes in markets in Winchester and London. In 2017, she moved back to St Albans where Ardent Cake currently operates from. Liuba belongs to various networking groups and there were consistent requests for bespoke cakes for various occasions. She started off fulfilling these orders and then realised the need to have a separate company focused entirely on bespoke cake products. Ardent Cake Company was therefore established to fulfil this need.
 
Ardent Cake Company officially started trading in April 2020 and has recorded a lot of success since its official launch. “It is really amazing. I could never have anticipated that this would happen. We launched at the height of the covid-19 lockdown, but we have had a lot of orders so far and I have rarely taken a break since April”.  The orders have continued to come mainly through recommendations from satisfied customers, the strength of the networking groups Liuba belongs to and marketing on Facebook. “We have not launched any aggressive marketing campaigns apart from updating our profile on Facebook on a regular basis, but we have witnessed tremendous growth”.
 
Although business has been good, Liuba identified a major communication gap on the availability of products for different needs. “Customers with special circumstances e.g. vegan, diabetics, nut allergies or lactose intolerant are not aware that they can get cake products designed specifically for them. Some of the cakes out there considered vegan are not really vegan products as vegan means an absence of anything to do with animals. There is a need to educate customers that there are real options available. Ardent Cake can create delicious cakes for customers with intolerances or with special circumstances”.
 
Despite enjoying success since the company started trading, there have been some challenges along the way. “The covid-19 situation made it difficult to get some of our stock delivered at the right time. There has also been a shortage of stock and in some cases, we have had to improvise at the last minute”.  In addition, due to the uncertainty and social distancing requirements, some staff had to be furloughed but the company is confident they will return as the covid-19 situation improves and orders pick up. “I am expecting to add one or two people as we go into the busy Christmas period as we expect more demand”.
 
It is hard to put a finger on why the company has done so well in such a short space of time despite a major pandemic. “I think due to the lockdown, some families ordered products to share. Perhaps this may be why we have seen a lot of orders over the period”. However, one cannot ignore the company’s strong product offering. “We use more fresh cream, fruit and lighter flavours which has given our cakes a distinct taste. We also do not store cakes. We offer fresh cakes and all orders are made and delivered on the same day”.
 
Ardent Cake is busy preparing for the business end of the year by releasing their pre-order menu as they look forward to the Christmas and New Year events. They are also considering expanding their range of wedding cakes although the wedding sector overall has been hit by the pandemic. “Hopefully when we get through this, we will have the opportunity to go to exhibitions, shows and fairs. This should also help our growth and expansion plans”. If you are after delicious bespoke cakes, then call 07854 583 232 or visit their Facebook page.
​