ALooking at all the Facebook pages that have business for cakes . I know they aren't legal. Just makes me cringe. I am a hobby baker that would love to start a Facebook page to make cakes for cheap, but I would never! I know my cakes are so much better than the ones I see , but what the hell? How can these people do this and get away with it? Sorry, just ranting.
ADidn't say that I wanted to make cheap cakes. Just ranting that there are many, many people that have Facebook pages and we all know they are not licensed . Just saying that I wouldn't do that because I'm not legal! Not legal in New York!
Oh sorry, I took the "to make cakes for cheap" as being...cheap cakes. I'm always surprised at the amount of people that put out below subpar products and the people that are willing to pay for them, but then complain that the fondant buckled, the buttercream slid off, or the cake fell lol
AThis is crazy. I did the same think earlier today and was sooo upset. I was ranting to my husband to no end. But at the end of the day you sleep good at night because your business is legal and yor stuff is better.
AI've seen people selling cheesecakes and custard pies from their homes and it's beyond annoying. I search their pages and can't find a storefront address or a license number anyway. Nothing that even indicates that what they're doing is legal. I'd love to sell a cheesecake or a pumpkin pie too. I often wonder if these people are oblivious to our (CA) state laws or are aware but publically defy them anyway. I know mine taste better and look better too. It's insane, but we have to let it go. Like Steph, I, too, prefer a clear conscience.
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Original message sent by ypierce82
And the cake on your profile pic is gorgeous!!
You're welcome! Lol you aren't doing anything wrong. I wouldn't buy anything from someone that wasn't licensed. Your conscious is clear.
msbelle21 I think the majority are clueless about the laws. In all my years of life I never knew until I joined CC and realized all the different regulations. Don't get me wrong. I am sure there are plenty that are aware and just do what they want anyway.
AI agree. Very frustrating. I would love to start a Facebook page, but I would never if I wasn't listened .and I'm not, so I won't!
I have a neighbor who started a home based cake business and advertises on Facebook. I asked her about the process to get licensed - Georgia now has Cottage Food Laws, and she laughed saying that she was not licensed and doubted that her kitchen would pass inspection. Arrrggghhh, I would like to pursue being legit, but doubt it would be worth my while with so many like her out there.
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I have a neighbor who started a home based cake business and advertises on Facebook. I asked her about the process to get licensed - Georgia now has Cottage Food Laws, and she laughed saying that she was not licensed and doubted that her kitchen would pass inspection. Arrrggghhh, I would like to pursue being legit, but doubt it would be worth my while with so many like her out there.
Oh Lordy...This is why I don't buy baked goods at farmer's markets unless I ask about inspections first. The story I tell all the time is the one the health inspector told me about the woman who had to have three inspections before there was "an acceptable level of dog hair" in her cookies.
costumeczar - There is an "acceptable level of dog hair" in home baked goods??? Ohhh myy!
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Original message sent by swishykitty
costumeczar - There is an "acceptable level of dog hair" in home baked goods??? Ohhh myy!
Exactly! So gross.
Do NOT click on this link if you're squeamish and you don't want to know the Federal Government standard for bug parts in your food.......... REALLY don't watch the video.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/21/bugs-in-food-fda-allows_n_1370288.html
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Original message sent by costumeczar
Turn them in to the health department.
I was ranting about the same thing just the other day. A friend on facebook had a link to a local home bakery. Out of curiosity I clicked on it. The person had pictures of 2 cakes, one very nice fondant covered rice crispy treat "cake" and a mis-shapen, lopsided, bulging cake. That was it. 2 pictures for her whole portfolio. She had printed out a list of flavors and prices and taken a picture and posted that as well. Mostly unreadable, so I couldn't tell what her prices were. I could tell however that she listed cream cheese icing as one of her options. Now, I live in Ohio and we have the easiest cottage food laws in the country, I think. You don't have to be licensed, you can have pets. You are just limited by what you can make - nothing easily perishable, such as cream cheese icing. Maybe she is doing cream cheese flavored icing, but then she should specify it. I am just a hobby baker. I am biding my time, waiting to be able to consistently produce really nice looking cakes. For now I bake for family and friends. I hear all the time how I should sell my cakes. I don't listen to them though. I know I am but a gifted amateur at this point and I don't want to ruin anyone's party with a cake disaster. When I am ready to open, I will have insurance in place, a business plan, and all my recipes in order and ready to go (Ohio does have labeling requirements). I did the research and I know when I get up and running, it will be legal and I won't end up losing my shirt in a lawsuit because someone claims they go sick from my cake or that my goat attacked them while they were picking up their cake. It just drives me nuts that people like this don't bother to even look up the rules, let alone research what a custom cake looks like. People like her probably has no idea if what they are doing is legal or illegal because they probably honestly never even thought to look it up. Their friends and family fill their ears with "ooh you should sell your cakes" and they just do.
I think next time my husband replaces a light bulb I will tell him he should go into business as an electrician.
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Original message sent by waggs
there are so many Facebook pages, it would end up being a second job! Lol
Just cut and paste a bunch of them into a document and email it to the HD. If they're already legit nothing will happen,and if they need to be told to cut it out the HD will takecare of it. There are always people complaining about this kind of thing on here, but turning peoplein is the only way to get them to stop. When I hear things like that woman laughing that her litchen wouldnever pass inspection it makes me gag. We can rant all we want but if people aren't willing to act on things then we really have no right to complain.
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Do NOT click on this link if you're squeamish and you don't want to know the Federal Government standard for bug parts in your food.......... REALLY don't watch the video.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/21/bugs-in-food-fda-allows_n_1370288.html
Putting the word REALLY in capitals meant that I REALLY had to watch it MB bahaha!
Ewwwuggghhhh gagging sounds. I'm not sure what was worse, the photo of the mouse (which made all the hair stand up on the back of my neck) the story in general, or the other video that has nothing to do with the bug story about the giant hairball that was removed from somebody's stomach, complete with completely gross and disgusting photos. I'm feeling quite squeamish and am moving on to another thread.
It sprung from the @costumeczar post about acceptable levels of yuck. The memory of the first time I learned about the acceptable levels of bug parts- allowed by the Federal Government in my most beloved canned chili, still burns in my mind. It's unfortunate that so many goofballs are trying to be businesses, and getting in the way of some good bakers with good decorating skills. Hopefully they will only be speedbumps that slow people down, and not roadblocks that stop them altogether. Take @costumeczar's advice. She's a successful business professional.
During one of my inspections I was telling the health inspector that I'd only had one bag of coconut infested with ants when I bought it in the time I've been making cakes. His comment was that I'd been lucky! And in culinary school the instructors said that sifting no only aerates the flour, it makes sure that there aren't any "little friends" in it. (insert gagging emote here)
We studied the federal site in my food safety class in culinary school too. Pretty gross what's allowed in our main ingredients, before someone who doesn't care about their working conditions adds to the problem.
I think one of the reasons why cheap cakes are cheap (theory) is because the people who make them don't take into account sanitizing expenses like: soap, water, hair nets, paper towels, laundry detergent, refrigeration, thermometers, gloves, daycare, doggycare, catcare, whatever, etc.
Which means they're not using them. So, of course there's dog and cat **** in their cakes. They live in a sort of chaos where Hagrid left the dough out 12 days in the sun before remembering to return it to the Hogwart's kitchen to be turned into a cake, but no one's looking, so whatever. People get sick and the cakes turn out to be terrible, but as long as they put a Frozen Barbie on top of the cake, you're smiling.
But why would you compare yourselves to them? Who cares? If you're a good enough baker and cake decorator, these people should not be taking business away from you.
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But why would you compare yourselves to them? Who cares? If you're a good enough baker and cake decorator, these people should not be taking business away from you.
Ah, but they are taking business away regardless of how craptastic they are. More supply doesn't mean more demand, it just means that people will start dropping their prices as their customer base dries up and drifts away to someone who's cheaper. There will always be people who are willing to pay more for a cake that's better, but custom cakes are a luxury item, not a necessity. Those are the things that people tend to pinch pennies on unless they have an income that allows them to say "I don't care what I'm spending." And that isn't most people.
The cake market is so glutted right now I've seen really good decorators start to offer discounts, coupons, etc because they don't have enough business to sustain their income. That just starts a race to the bottom, as @Evoir said somewhere else (I thought that summed up the current state of affairs perfectly). Either that, or they stop making cakes and start teaching classes or being "cake consultants" in a last-ditch attempt to make a buck while there are still loads of new decorators thinking about entering the market. If you can't sell to customers, sell to other decorators.
Hey y'all we just created a Cake venting page.
Feel free to join and add your cake buddies
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