So I was cakesnooping at Sam's club the other day and there were three bakery workers surrounding this one cake.
I heard one say "it's soooo ugly!!!" I had to know... so I easssssed my way over there, trying to blend in.
"Remember when we used to pipe the grapes?" another said
....I eased closer, but couldn't see what they were talking about.
They stood there all shaking their heads in disgust. So I eased closer and they..being customer focused... moved so I could browse their wonderful selection of cakes.
It was an autumn themed 1/4 sheet cake with shiny irredescent (sp?)plastic pumpkins, grapes, and leaves etc. It was horrible!
It confirmed what I have read from other bakery decorators on this forum: They have to do things a certain way like it or not!
I felt bad (for half a second) then I smiled with satisfaction and amusement as I headed towards the baking isle for supplies.
Just thought I'd share!
Cakesnooping!! I love the term - Sue and I love to do that!!!!!
lol
I, for one, work at Sam's Club. I will say there are quite a many designs that we are supposed to do that never make it to the case because "we ran out of time before we could get to it" (actually, it's because of what you said...it was unanimous that it was ugly.
I hated to see those fall picks come in the last shipment. that just means that the really ugly stuff is soon to follow...ugh...the Christmas decorations!
those cakes aren't meant to be masterpieces, art, or anything remotely close. just a little something for someone to get for someone when money is an issue. they are thrown together so-to-speak but they mean a lot to the person who receives them.
it hasn't hurt the requests for my cakes any...then, again, lol....i do live over an hour away from them!
Is the top cake the one you are talking about?
http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?catg=5240
Ha ha, I'm a cake snooper too! Usually at the Publix grocery stores - they're the most creative as far as chain stores. I still think I could do at least a good a job as a lot of their stuff, but I can't believe how much they charge for some of their cakes!
"Cakesnooper" - I love it!!!!! I'll bet we all belong to that elite, clandestine group! I, too, love to snoop Publix (and Kroger, too) and pixxydust, you're right, Publix is probably the better of the two, but some of their prices are outrageous! At least it makes me feel a littlemore confident when I see one and can say, "Wow - even I could do that!" PAT
Funny stuff. A friend of mine just had a cake done at Publix for her sister's baby shower. They had two options for decorations/themes and she said both were hideous. She talked to one of the bakers/decorators there who said that they used to have a lot more options for the baby shower cakes but now they only had two that she thought were ugly as well.
She told my friend.... just order a plain cake and put 'baby theme' & boy or girl, if known on it (i.e. nothing specific from their catalog), and the decorator will be able to do something nice.
She ended up with a very pretty cake... and the decorator was happy that she got to be creative!
But at least they use Gum Paste flowers right ?
Compared to Costco, I think they look better..I'm not defending Sams,
I'm just comparing Sams with Costco. I have not seen Walmart, probably
they are worst. I should not say that until I see it.
Now I'm curious. 
My husband is the biggest cake snooper!! When he comes with me to Wal-Mart and we stop at the deli which is right next to the bakery. He walks up and down checking out the frozen cakes in the case, once he even shouted to me that I do a much better job than these decorators, made me embarassed and feel good at the same time. I am not that great, lost some of my skills, but are working on getting 'em back. 
Cake snooping!!! lol I love to cake snoop. That story is funny because I always go to Sams and look at their cakes and baked stuff and I saw those cakes this week. They do look sad.
LOL another "cakesnooper" checking in (it just struck me what an awesome forum name that would be)
I was in Meijer today (local grocery) and found the cakes looking like playdoh. And don't get me started on their technicolor donuts. ::shudder::
I'm amazed at the number of people I encounter that just want a grocery store cake because it's cheaper. They're often hideous and the cake is so dry and devoid of flavor. bleah. 
I was just in Sam's last week and started cakesnooping. I was shocked to see some cakes with gumpaste flowers now. It looks like the decorator might have taken an extra minute on the cake as well, it was decorated better than I usually see. No offense to those who work there, I know your options are limited. I was just surprised that they were looking better these days.
lol..yall are so funny! i have just been laughingggg...haha...but imust say im the same..im a snooper, and a silent laugher when i see some of the cakes in stores...i have done less than a dozen cakes and i dont look at mine as any where near as good as most of yours but even mine look and i know taste better than what is in the stores.
When I went through the interviews...3...each time, they repeated "you aren't being hired for your creativity but for your skills. We have set designs and they aren't to be varied" I repeat those words in my head daily to keep from doing anything "extra" on those cakes. I have this little chant of sorts that I say to myself and sometimes out loud..."Their time, their cakes their way. My time, my cakes my way"
Something else ugly came in recently...I'll have to remember to remember it the next time I work.
I, too am guilty of "cakesnooping". I won't tell you where I work, but it starts with a C and ends with ostco 
. I snoop in other warehouses to see how the other decorators are doing. I'm so bad! 
My husband usually has to drag me away from the cake case because I am just drawn like a magnet no matter what store I am in. I never go in Sams, for obvious reasons, but at Costco, we don't use any decorations that are not edible. It is more inventory, more cost, and also anymore, a liablilty. You know, those people who claim to have choked on a plastic decoration. So we don't do it. The cake programs at those 2 warehouses are so completely different, even though the rest of the bakery goods are very similar. You might be able to say, "well, I can do a better job than that", but you other Sam's and Costco decorators can agree, can you do 50-100 a day? That in itself takes skill and practice. It is just up to us bakery decorators to do the best job we can to the best of our ability and talent on those predetermined decorations. I can still make an ugly cake look good.
Ok I have one for you a friend of my DD just got her first job working in the bakery dept. of a local Publix store. She does not decorate or anything like that. Well I guess she told the person incharge that her friends mother does cake decorating and said that not only do they look better than theres but they also taste better. What a great ego booster. Well DH and I were in there shopping and she happened to be working and was talking to us and she then turned around and say this is the mom I was telling you about. Talk about making me blush.
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