The Untold Truth Of Peggy Porschen Cakes
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Peggy Porschen Cakes shops in London are some of the most Instagrammable locations in the world. The bright pink exterior accentuated by flowers lends to a fanciful, fairy-tale-like atmosphere, and the obsession with all things feminine continues inside with a plethora of pink decor and sweet treats that look like they're straight out of a little girl's dream world.
The shops are owned by Peggy Porschen, a British pastry chef who enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie after discovering her passion for baking (via Le Cordon Bleu), and went on to create wedding cakes for the likes of Stella McCartney and Kate Moss (via her author bio). Inside of the adorable venues, Porschen sells cupcakes and custom cakes for any occasion.
But behind the pink façade, there's more to Porschen and Peggy Porschen Cakes than meets the eye. Join us as we look back on her unexpected career beginnings, her lucky break into the publishing industry, and more.
Peggy Porschen started her career as a flight attendant
Porschen discovered her passion for cake-making while working as a flight attendant out of her native Germany. On her repeated trips to London, she fell in love with the art of British sugarcraft (via Henry & James). Sugarcraft cakes? Yes. Sugarcraft is the process of using sugar as a medium to produce creations typically meant for decorating cakes for special occasions, according to The Guardian.
After mastering sugarcraft, Porschen was asked by a couple of her colleagues from Lufthansa to make their wedding cake. And, after presenting them with her creation, they were so delighted with the result that Porschen went on to pursue cake-baking as a full-time career (via Henry & James).
"Soon after, I quit my job and the rest is history. I never looked back and feel truly blessed that I was able to follow my calling," Porschen said.
Peggy Porschen Cakes serves afternoon tea
When British accessories brand Olivia Burton released its tea party collection of fine jewelry, the only natural thing to do was to throw a tea party and form a collaboration with Porschen. Don one of the collection's floral watches or a pair of dainty earrings and head to one of Peggy Porschen Cakes shops in the warmer months for a serving of afternoon tea that celebrates the whimsicalities of both the jewelry line and Peggy Porschen Cakes (via Peggy Porschen Cakes).
Start with finger sandwiches, such as honey roast ham and cheddar cheese and smoked salmon, cream cheese, and dill, but, of course, save room for the star of the show, the cake. Selections include a strawberry jammie dodger cupcakes, summer berries and blossom cupcakes, and a slice of berries and "elderfleur" cake. (via Peggy Porschen X Olivia Burton's Afternoon Tea menu).
Peggy Porschen Cakes has also teamed up with The Lanesborough Hotel, where Porschen used to work (via LinkedIn), for an afternoon tea presentation served under the hotel restaurant's domed glass roof in a room filled with fairy-tale inspiration and, of course, lots of pink.
Why Peggy Porschen's cakes are worth the high price tag
In addition to its creatively decorated and delectable cupcakes, which Vanity Fair declared "the best in the world" (via Peggy Porschen Cakes), Peggy Porschen Cakes makes a variety of cakes to order in various categories, including one-tier layer cakes, two-tier layer cakes, one-tier party cakes, and two-tier party cakes. Designs include the Mermaid Two Tier Cake complete with seashells, starfish, seahorses, and a mermaid tail on top. The One Tier Winter Wonderland Cake features an ombre buttercream façade and sugar snowflakes. The cakes are beautiful. However, you won't be getting one without hurting your wallet. The Mermaid Cake costs $389 and the Winter Wonderland Cake rings in at $135. And, just one cupcake will cost you at least $9.70.
But the sweets seem to be well-worth the price. One writer from The Wordrobe described her treats from Peggy Porschen Cakes in a blog post, writing, "Topped with berries, edible flowers, and sugar-crafted petals, the different [pastel-colored] treats are a feast for the eyes as much as the stomach. This is food that makes you feel like a princess."
Peggy Porschen took an unexpected route into the publishing industry
Porschen is the author of multiple books, but she didn't get her big break through the traditional publishing route. "I was actually very lucky to be discovered by my publisher at a Christmas market," she recalled during an interview with Smashing the Glass. "I was selling cookies and cakes when she came along and gave me her contact details. It all started from there."
Porschen's books include the Gourmand World Cookbook Award-winning "Pretty Party Cakes" and "Cakes in Bloom," which takes readers and novice bakers on a journey through the process of making various types of sugarcraft flowers, from "vintage roses to exotic frangipani" (via Peggy Porschen Cakes). A third book, "A Year in Cake," celebrates the 10-year anniversary of Peggy Porschen Cakes and brings readers behind the scenes of her magical bakery, which has been widely dubbed as "the prettiest bakery in the world."
Peggy Porschen Cakes struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic
During the pandemic, the Mayor of London's website hosted a "Pay it Forward" campaign, which aimed to help businesses raise much-needed funds to stay afloat, rebuild, and recover the losses they sustained during the COVID-19 pandemic (via Mayor of London's website). Unfortunately, despite being world-famous, Peggy Porschen's Cakes took a hit from the lack of customers. And, as business dwindled, the shops were struggling to survive.
Porschen and her husband, Bryn, posted a plea on their Pay it Forward page. It read, "Peggy Porschen is a 'customer first' business and cash flow is its lifeblood, when the UK announced the temporary closure of restaurants, cafes, and social distancing measures, it became unsustainable to keep operations open in any form. The financial impact of the pandemic on small family business like Peggy Porschen is detrimental and impossible to sustain over a longer period."
Luckily, the couple was able to crowdfund £7,176 (about $10,000) over the course of 41 days through the website to help ease the impact of the pandemic on the shop (via Pay it Forward website).