About us

Cakewhole came about by accident.  Nat was looking for a new direction in life after a career in nursing when a friend asked her to make some cakes for her café.  They sold like the proverbial hot cakes, and thus Cakewhole was born (thanks for the name, Pete!)

We started baking at home, each cake one at a time in a small domestic oven, often finishing in the small hours.  In our first year we supplied four cafes and quickly realised we needed more space.  We bought a commercial oven, converted the dining room and things started to take off.

‘We need a bigger van!’  Now that we were supplying ten cafes Nat’s little Peugeot was bursting at the seams and so Gareth joined Cakewhole.  We also graduated from a 5 litre mixer to a 20 litre one, and bought yet more cake tins.

The business continued to grow, particularly our gluten free range.  Visitors never ceased to be amazed at finding a full-scale commercial bakery in our dining room, though the smell of carrot cake and brownies wafting down the street should have been a bit of a giveaway.

We decided on a spot of rebranding and Cakewhole Green made its first appearance when Gareth was resprayed. We introduced our Vegan range. At 70 cakes a week it was becoming obvious that we needed to find some premises and get our home back. It was a long process with several false starts, but eventually . . .

90 Wilton Street opened its doors.  With an even bigger oven, a massive upgrade in fridge space and a positively palatial washing up area, it upped our capacity considerably, and for the first time we had a retail outlet to complement the wholesale side of the business. Cakewhole rapidly became a part of the local community and also attracted people from all over Plymouth who queued up for our increasingly popular vegan and gluten free cakes, as well as the old favourites.  Fresh Owen’s coffee, Baker Tom’s bread and a range of ice creams including vegan made their first appearance.  Planning permission for our covered outside seating area was granted.

The Cakewhole team has grown to eight, the decking has been built, the awning is up and now you can enjoy a cup of Owen’s coffee with your cake in the ambience of our little corner of Wilton Street.

 

Our Philosophy

Quality not quantity, to put it simply.  We use only the best ingredients, sourced as far as we can from local suppliers.  We’re a small bakery, not a cake factory, and this is reflected in the care and attention to detail that goes into each and every cake or traybake that leaves the premises.

We also like to do our bit for the environment – from the re-usable plastic boxes we supply our wholesale cakes in, to the compostable cups from which you drink your coffee, everything we do is designed to keep our impact to a minimum.

. . . and last (but not least), we try very hard to be an ethical employer.  Of course, happy staff make better cakes, but there’s more to it than that.  We want a happy and supportive working environment for all of us which is why, whenever you visit Cakewhole, you’ll be greeted with a smile and leave with one on your face.