OUR STORY

Josh%2Band%2BEms%2B1.jpg — Hello, I'm Emma.

Thank you so much for your interest in Scrumptious Bakes.
I live in Odiham, a village in Hampshire, with my husband, Josh, who is in the RAF. I love being outdoors, especially in the woods or at the beach, travelling, running, yoga, and spending time with my wonderful friends and family.
I grew up in the beautiful Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, and studied French and Italian at university, working as a horse-riding guide in Tuscany as part of my year abroad.
Four generations of my family have been professional bakers and confectioners, and my mum is a former Michelin-starred chef. I have always loved baking, and was fortunate to learn so much from them growing up.
One of my favourite bits about Scrumptious Bakes is using my grandad’s perfectly balanced palette knives, knowing their gently worn wooden handles have put the finishing touches to countless wedding cakes designs before. I just love bringing dreams to life.

Ems 2.jpg — In the beginning...

I started my business in June 2018, 16 months into recovery from a life-changing injury. ⁣⁣
In January 2017, I damaged both sacroiliac joints, my pelvis, my lumbar spine (L1-L5), my sacrum and my coccyx. I had little to no feeling from the waist down, and severe nerve, soft tissue and muscle damage.⁣⁣
⁣⁣I was lucky enough to be supported by some brilliant people during my recovery, including Chris, who won an award for his work with me, helping me to run again.⁣⁣
⁣⁣After 15 months learning to walk and load my body again with a flotation belt in a pool (half a width to start with, progressing gradually to full lengths, and then the same with swimming), those first few steps in a hospital corridor felt like flying! ⁣⁣

386 copy B+W.jpeg — Dreaming it.

As I became stronger and could stand again, baking became a way for me to reconnect with my body, mind and soul. I have always found baking very mindful and easily lose myself in kneading soft dough or gently scooping and folding macaron batter.
Baking for family and friends initially gave me a sense of purpose; a clear, achievable goal and focus, which helped to relieve the trials of chronic pain and rehabilitation. It helped me to re-discover a sense of identity, to feel pride, to feel empowered. It rebuilt my self- confidence.
I found the concept of beginning my own business simultaneously exhilarating and challenging. Stimulating my mind was equally as important to my recovery as each physical step, and dreaming about my business, and how it would look and feel gave me hope and strength.

Our journey so far...

I am so proud of my business and all it has achieved so far.
In our first year, we won the award for the Best Newcomer across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in the 2019 Muddy Stilettos Awards, and in our second year, we won the award for the Best Wedding Cake Artist at the 2019 Hampshire Wedding Supplier Awards.
We began our third year with an invitation from British Vogue to feature in their 2020 luxury ‘Match Made In Vogue’ wedding campaign. In November, we were thrilled to win the Wedding Cake Designer / Maker of the Year award for the South Central region in The Wedding Industry Awards (TWIA). TWIA are the most coveted awards in the industry, judged by industry experts and client feedback, and we were very proud to be named one of the top eight wedding cake designers nationally in January 2021.
In December, we were honoured to receive the 2020 Milspo Ad Astra award, for striving for excellence through adversity, and I am so excited to continue to build on our success so far.

Building on our national recognition in early 2021, our fourth year began with an invitation by the English Wedding Blog to share our top tips for wedding cake planning, and by Condé Nast Brides to feature in a macaron tower wedding cake special.
I believe in the power of kindness and the importance of connection, especially since my recovery. These values, along with integrity and passion, underpin all that we do at Scrumptious Bakes, from the ingredients we select to your client experience, and the charities we support, including The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation.
Thank you for being here. It truly means so much.
Emma x

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Our Scrumptious Ingredients

We choose to bake exclusively with high-quality ingredients for two equally important reasons: Firstly because we believe that every ingredient contributes to exceptional taste; and secondly because we value suppliers who promote sustainable production, farming in harmony with nature, and respecting and giving back to their communities.

Organic farming standards promote sustainable production, the highest welfare standards and vibrant farmland wildlife. Produce and grains must be grown without artificial chemicals or fertilisers, and animals are raised on an organic diet without the routine use of antibiotics.

In all our sourcing we seek to create a positive social and economic effect on the communities who supply our products and ingredients. Please see below for four examples.

Leckford EstateFlour

Our flour is produced by the Leckford Estate, Hampshire. They work alongside the John Spedan Lewis Trust and support their research into biodiversity and and natural history.

Callebaut Belgian Chocolate & Cocoa

Our chocolate and cocoa is supplied by Callebaut of Belgium, whose cocoa is 100% sustainable and traceable. Each purchase supports the Cocoa Horizons Foundation, helping to build self-sustaining farming communities that protect nature and children.

Duchy Organic British Blacktail Eggs

Our organic eggs are laid by British Blacktail hens, raised under Soil Association organic standards. Free to roam, each hen has access to food, drink and shelter at all times, and their henhouses are often powered by wind and solar energy. Eggs are laid in quiet, comfortable nest boxes, and are always hand-collected and inspected by Duchy Organic farmers.

Lescure Butter

We proudly use Lescure French butter, produced uniquely in the Poitou - Charentes region. It holds PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) status, recognising its exceptional quality and taste and has no additives, artificial colourings, antioxidants, thickeners or de-acidifying substances.

Our Scrumptious Ethos

Everything we do is underpinned by our core values: Kindness; Integrity; Connection and Passion.

Kindness

We care for each other, our clients and our communities, understanding that kindness and empathy makes us stronger.

Integrity

We are authentic in our interactions, and communicate openly, honestly and respectfully.

Passion

We are creative and passionate about our work. We take great pride in striving to deliver the best possible outcomes for our clients, built on quality and integrity.

Connection

We build trust and rapport, and pride ourselves on our excellent customer service. We are collaborative and supportive.

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A little bit more about us...

Wedding Wishing Well Foundation

We are proud to work with the Wedding Wishing Well Foundation. The Wishing Well Foundation organise and fund weddings for terminally ill people, and we are honoured to be a small part of their work.

Armed Forces Covenant

We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant, committing to support those who protect our nation with honour and courage, and their families.

Our Community

Nurturing our community is very important to us. Each order helps us to support our annually designated charities, currently Shooting Star Children’s Hospices and the RAFBF.
If you would like to enquire about support for your event, please contact us.