Cake Tasting Fee

Business By tootie0809 Updated 14 Jun 2010 , 1:01pm by beamom

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tootie0809 Posted 7 Jun 2010 , 11:18pm
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I offer complementary cake tastings for cakes that will serve 100 people or more. However, I have had several inquiries lately from brides who want small cakes (serving 40-60 people) and want to schedule a tasting. I have on my website the minimum order to set up a tasting is for a cake serving 100 people or more, but for those wanting a small cake, I'm wondering if I should charge a fee to set up the tasting for such a small cake or just tell them straight out that for small cakes, I don't do a consultation or tasting. I'm wondering what some of you do in this type of situation.

11 replies
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BlakesCakes Posted 8 Jun 2010 , 4:16am
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I won't do tasting for cakes under 100 unless they pay for it. It gets too crazy.

If you WANT to allow for smaller orders to have the option for tasting, I'd suggest offering a 6" cake with no decoration or 6 cupcakes for a minimal, but reasonable price--pick up only. Let them order as many as they want or limit it to a # that makes you comfortable. No order credit for this type of tasting, either.

JMHO
Rae

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loriemoms Posted 8 Jun 2010 , 1:23pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BlakesCakes

I won't do tasting for cakes under 100 unless they pay for it. It gets too crazy.

If you WANT to allow for smaller orders to have the option for tasting, I'd suggest offering a 6" cake with no decoration or 6 cupcakes for a minimal, but reasonable price--pick up only. Let them order as many as they want or limit it to a # that makes you comfortable. No order credit for this type of tasting, either.

JMHO
Rae




Same here, I offer them a little 6 inch cake, with just buttercream on it, for 10 bucks or cupcakes for 1.50 each...I also do not offer any kind of delivery on cakes less then 50.

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tootie0809 Posted 8 Jun 2010 , 8:14pm
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Good advice. Thank you!!

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KHalstead Posted 8 Jun 2010 , 8:45pm
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I had this same problem, not only brides but people wanting tastings for birthday cakes, etc.!

I finally decided I would limit the flavors of cake/fillings to 4 total (if they pick 2 cakes, they can pick 2 fillings, etc) and I charge $20.00 for the tasting. IF they order 100 servings or more of cake THEN the $20.00 they paid gets subtracted from their final payment on their cake. If they wind up ordering LESS than 100 servings, the fee stands as is.

This has worked wonderfully, and nobody has ever complained about the cost of the tasting, I tell them upfront it's to help offset the cost of preparing the samples at the time they're ordered and if they order over 100 servings of cake it will be deducted and in the end will be free for them.

I've also done tastings with finicky brides who want to try EVERY cake I have....fine....you want another tasting....sure, it'll be another $20.00....only thing is...ONLY the first $20.00 gets applied any tastings above and beyond that they pay for and it's not deducted, because then it's costing me more than the $20 in time and ingredients!


You'll be amazed at how many people order tastings for 20 serving birthday cakes......funny thing is....a 20 serving cake is $20 too LOL People are weird!

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Jenn2179 Posted 8 Jun 2010 , 9:36pm
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I started charging $15 for my consultations for all cakes that serve 100 or more. If they book with me then it goes toward their cake. If they don't book then I am not losing my time or money. For anyone who has a cake of less than 100 servings they can buy my tasting pack for $15 but they just pick it up. I had a girl stop by Friday to purchase one because she is thinking about ordering a cake and wanted to try it.

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pattycakesnj Posted 8 Jun 2010 , 9:46pm
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I charge $25 for tasting over 100 servings, no tasting for under that number. If they book with me, the $25 is applied to the balance. I have a minimum order of $75, so they can't buy a small cake to taste, I refuse to spend my time making $20 cakes. Restuarants don't offer tastings, you go there based on recommendations and reviews, same with me.

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KHalstead Posted 9 Jun 2010 , 1:27pm
post #8 of 12

I get the point about restaurants, but honestly how often do you walk into a restaurant and plunk down $1,000??

I don't blame brides for wanting to "taste" the cake before purchasing, it's an important day and the cake is a big part of it (at least for me it is lol)

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-K8memphis Posted 9 Jun 2010 , 2:47pm
post #9 of 12

I think tastings are out of hand myself. Very often people plunk down multi hundreds to thousands in fine dining restaurants every day without samples in advance.

Then there's the idea of how does the bite you taste actually correspond to the cake you're purchasing six months out. What measuring stick do you use to compare them. And the tasting cake is not usually handled like the wedding cake will be handled. Making a good tasting cake is a very small part of what they are purchasing. And making a good tasting cake is pretty easy compared to the whole package.

To me tastings are mini events for brides, a marketing tool. I'm getting married so I get to be served cake lalalalala. Pretty much all of us can identify vanilla and chocolate and strawberry.

The whole dealio is the bride needs to trust the chick doing the cake. A coupla bites of cake in a calm and serene setting outside the drama of birthing a custom cake is an unreliable indicator at best to moi.

Nothing wrong with giving out free cake I guess. But unless you're doing chai latte burnt sugar cake with with an iced tea vodka splash filled with alternating pomegranate and tiramisu fillings I mean most folks already get how cake tastes. And I hate to set myself up for the judgement call. Agh no.

signed,
not crazy about tastings
ask me what I really think

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JustABite Posted 9 Jun 2010 , 3:28pm
post #10 of 12

I am but a hobby caker, but here is my input.... This weekend we happen to be in a large city here in Michigan and went to the bakery of a well known cake artist. They sell cupcakes (only 4 choices) some cake truffles and a cookie in the retail front. Well I was just enamored thinking I was getting to try ***'s cake. OMG, not sure if it was a bad day or if their cakes are always that dry, but I would NOT want to order a wedding or specialty cake like that. No matter how cool and beautiful it was.

I have "heard" of and seen their work, so I would assume it would be devine. So that was my "tasting" experience. So are tastings important?

I do have to admit that we did get to see the artist and peek at the back bakery/decorating room. Pretty cool, I would just love to be able to sit and watch.

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-K8memphis Posted 9 Jun 2010 , 4:41pm
post #11 of 12
Quote:
Quote:

I am but a hobby caker, but here is my input.... This weekend we happen to be in a large city here in Michigan and went to the bakery of a well known cake artist. They sell cupcakes (only 4 choices) some cake truffles and a cookie in the retail front. Well I was just enamored thinking I was getting to try ***'s cake. OMG, not sure if it was a bad day or if their cakes are always that dry, but I would NOT want to order a wedding or specialty cake like that. No matter how cool and beautiful it was.

I have "heard" of and seen their work, so I would assume it would be devine. So that was my "tasting" experience. So are tastings important?

I do have to admit that we did get to see the artist and peek at the back bakery/decorating room. Pretty cool, I would just love to be able to sit and watch.




It's my opinion tastings are not important other than being a marketing tool and serving the 'queen for a day'.

I mean you are still singing that bakeries' praises even though the cake was not as tasty as you'd like.

It's reputation no?

I mean seriously for a cake tasting to be valid, you need to taste the cake day of and use like a cheese taster where it tunnels a little hole out.

This person has a great reputation and served some flukey cake--cake is fickle that's my point. Like me & you never made a below our usual standard cake? Oh for sure. Cake tastings are nice PR.

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beamom Posted 14 Jun 2010 , 1:01pm
post #12 of 12

Well, I hate to sounds so mean...but I realized after having many people calling to come in for a tasting/consulation pull a no show, that my time in worth a lot. I mean people wouldn't even call to say I'm not coming or reschedule. I started to charge a non-refundable fee of $40 for my tastings/constultations. I figured if you pull a no show, at least I got paid to bake you a fresh cake and not waste my time. The $40 is applied to the overall cost of the cake if they place an order. Think about it where can you go and have free cake and frosting just the way you like it.

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