Emma Thorburn, owner of Buns of Fun Bakery, offers insight into her wonderful world of wedding cakes.
Tell us about your business
I have made wedding and celebration cakes since February 4, 2010. It was a culmination of ending my maternity leave, relocating from Bucks to Norfolk and a newly developed love of baking.
We have now made cakes for more than 500 weddings, and I’ve lost count of the other cakes for big birthdays, ‘feddings' (faux weddings in lockdowns) and anniversaries. We are a vegan business, having removed dairy and eggs for our youngest child’s health, and there are so many occasions when these come up as allergens. We’re striving so that more people can enjoy cake.
We have also recently launched ‘That Wedding Collective’ with a couple of other suppliers and we have a ready-made package for cake, flowers and photography for smaller weddings or where the couple are getting ready at their wedding venue. The package is particularly valuable for those out of county or if a couple has no idea where to start in the sea of suppliers available to them.
What do you love most about your job?
I love hearing about wedding plans and celebration styles. Meeting my clients is always a treat, and we’ve had some absolutely gorgeous humans who have remained in contact through the years. It’s nice to be part of the whole occasion and treasured afterwards.
What do you love most about the weddings industry?
Norfolk suppliers have such a creative vibe in their approach to weddings and big celebrations. Because we are all rural and come together for the big event, we are all feeding from different inspirations artistically, meaning that the brief might be one thing but it’s tweaked to be unique by time it is revealed.
What is the most memorable wedding you’ve worked on to date?
I’ve had a few NDA weddings and those are top secret, although they have been magical and fantastical. While I can’t share anything about them, one that was fun to organise was a sea-themed wedding, with red edible coral, sugar sea shells, mermaid tails and sea vegetables in a multi-tiered cake with an aperture to fill with sea holly and other flora. I worked in conjunction with Myrtle & The Bee to get the look absolutely bang on; it was the stuff of dreams. Unfortunately, the bride never gave any feedback, which was disappointing and would have been the cherry on the cake, but we loved it and felt we nailed the brief.
What trends do you predict will take hold for 2023?
I’ve been saying square cakes for years... it will come. I love texture on a cake and will always try to add something eye-catching, whether in buttercream, tiny details or with the florals when decorating. That part is as much my job as making the cake itself.
What is your best piece of wedding planning advice?
Don’t sweat it. We have cakes of all sizes and shapes that we can tweak to budget and absolutely bust it or go minimal. Just ask, and don’t be shy about talking about numbers. I used to shy away from giving a figure for a cake, now I’m proud of it.
We offer excellent quality cake and an array of extras like brownies, and our own white hand-lettered cake stands and cake server sets.
Buns of Fun Bakery
Tel: 07932 874576
Email: cakes@bunsoffun.co.uk
Website: bunsoffun.co.uk
