Jack Bakes
I came across Jack Bakes through Twitter and have been lucky enough to try some of her goodies! I've tried the mini chocolate cake, mini carrot cake, mini ginger cake, double chocolate and peanut butter cookie, as well as, her chocolate chip cookie. What a treat!
I'm sure many of you will nod your head when you read what Jack wants! " I'd love to be able to walk into a regular coffee shop and order a slice of cake!"
Keep reading to find out why she created Jack Bakes, which is only a few months old, what she did before and what her goals are.
What does Jack Bakes specialise in?
I produce egg-free, dairy-free and gluten-free cakes and sweet treats.
Where is Jack Bakes based?
Stroud, Gloucestershire
Do you exclusively serve those who are local to you or can others who are further away buy your products too? If so, how?
As Jack Bakes is only 4 months old, I currently only sell to local customers through farmers markets, food festivals and personal orders. Our 12 month plan involves tweaking our website to enable online ordering. I just need to find a way of sending cakes through the post without them ending up a little worse for wear!
What inspired you to create a business that solely focuses on dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free and vegan sweet treats?
I've been baking (on and off) ever since I was little and when I became vegan in 2013, the priority for me wasn't finding out good sources of Vitamin B12, but finding out how to bake without eggs! Once that was nailed, everything else was super easy. The gluten-free aspect of the company arose when my brother discovered he had a gluten intolerance. So I turned my eye to gluten-free baking. The less said about this learning curve the better. I still have nightmares about the sweat and tears shed during those few months. I have a better understanding of baking without gluten now, but each time I develop a new recipe my obstacles are always gluten-free related!
Where does the name ‘Jack Bakes’ come from?
I went to an all girls school and in my year alone there were around 10 other Sarah's. It was simply easier to give us all nicknames that derived from our surnames. Mine was Jack and it stuck well into adulthood. I settled on Jack Bakes pretty quickly when I was searching for a name. I liked the way it simply described what I do.
How easy is it for you to source cruelty free ingredients for your products?
For the most part, I find it quite easy as long as you're used to carefully reading labels and sending the odd investigative email or two. I'm experimenting with a chocolate tiffin recipe at the moment which of course requires some form of biscuit. Finding gluten-free biscuits without milk or egg in them can be a challenge. But the internet is a wonderful invention. Keeping an eye out for the Vegan Society sunflower logo also makes ingredient sourcing easier.
Is Jack Bakes owned by, or in partnership with, another company that tests on animals or sell non-vegan products?
Absolutely not.
Tell me a bit about yourself before you launched Jack Bakes.
I grew up in Stroud but went to London at 17 to attend dance school. I danced professionally until around 4 years ago when I happened to fall into modelling. As much as I enjoyed both of these jobs, at the beginning of 2015 I felt I needed to have a bit more control over my life rather than waiting for the phone to ring. So I started Jack Bakes.
What is your vision for Jack Bakes?
At the moment I only have one long term aim: I would like to get my product into as many cafes and food establishments as possible so that people can once again partake in tea and cake with friends and family. I'd love to be able to walk into a regular coffee shop and order a slice of cake!
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The surprise party where most of the guests were not vegan, yet they ate, and enjoyed, lots of different vegan cakes
If you happen to be in Gloucestershire, find out which markets are stocking Sarah's produce and you can buy any small cake or cookie and get the second one for half price. Just mention Plant Shift when you buy! You can benefit from this offer until 6th November 2015.