Featured supplier: The Organic Chocolate Cake Company
Oct 19th, 2008 by Katie
This week’s featured supplier is one to make your mouth water. The Organic Chocolate Cake Company’s creations are scrumptious sculptures which it seems a shame to eat… but believe me, you should! I shall now hand you over to the enthusiastic and frenetic founder, Dominic, to tell you more…
Your name: Dominic Vyvyan-Jones
Location: Bristol
Tell us a bit about yourself and your business
My first ever job was washing up when I was 13. The next year I was running the kitchen on a Thursday night to give the chef a night off.
I went to catering college with 3 ‘A’ Levels, then cheffed briefly with Keith Floyd just outside Paris and 12 months in Texas.
I came back to Bristol – my hometown – in 1985 to do my brother’s wedding buffet and wedding cake, and fell in love with cake making, but more importantly with the look on the couple’s (and their guests’) faces when they saw and then tasted what I had created.
I started the business the following month. We are the UK’s first organic chocolate cake specialists, and the longest established Organic Cake Maker in Great Britain, and we are totally bespoke.
What or who inspires you?
I am inspired by all things beautiful.
What do you enjoy most about running your business?
I love running a kitchen ship shape and Bristol fashion!
What is the most challenging aspect?
The biggest challenge is keeping calm at all times, and not talking too much (!), also keeping up to date with the latest food issues.
What do you feel you bring to an ethical wedding?
I bring professionalism to a wedding, from the variety of wood chosen for the cake stand to the quality of the plums in our jam – all topped off with a hint of fun!
You don’t run a business just to make money – passion and love, that’s the stuff.
We make as low an impact as possible – our refrigerated van is 950cc, we only use Ecover – their oven cleaner is stunning! I even live next door to the business so no commuting…
Do you think the wedding industry has changed?
Not really, but each year I’m delighted by the other people I meet and the new venues I discover as well as old venues having a face lift.
One big change though – The Internet. Less paper, trudging to the library to do research, licking reams of stamps. FAB!
Find out more about The Organic Chocolate Cake Company
