Tastes of Northampton: Multi-award-winning cake maker says ‘there should not be any competition’

Mindy Robinson has run SophistiCake Creations from her home in Duston since she founded the business at the end of 2012.

The venture first began when she was asked to make a wedding cake for a colleague and she believed it was important to become a registered baker before taking on the challenge.

Mindy had only baked treats for loved ones prior to this and after getting her kitchen inspected and becoming a registered baker, she decided to make a go of selling cakes alongside her job.

Not only does SophistiCake Creations offer cakes of all kinds, including for birthdays and weddings, but Mindy expanded her offering during the pandemic – when she had no choice but to get creative to keep business going strong.

She delivered afternoon teas in boxes and hosted ‘make and bake’ sessions online for children and adults to join in with her.

Post-pandemic, Mindy now caters for afternoon tea parties of up to 24 people, kitted out with the crockery and cutlery to match.

Mindy is the third individual to speak out for the Tastes of Northampton series this September, after the Chronicle & Echo joined National World’s Food and Drink Month.

When asked her favourite thing about being a business owner in the town, Mindy said: “Meeting people that enjoy food as much as I do. We need food to live, but it can be a pleasurable and enjoyable experience too.”

The business owner believes Northampton’s hospitality industry has improved in recent years, which has become more apparent to Mindy since she became more involved in the food and drink community.

It was when Mindy won her first Weetabix Northamptonshire Food & Drink Award in 2019 that she began to meet more producers, business owners and fellow award winners.

She took the opportunity to try more delicious food and praised the “friendly and supportive people” she has met along the way.

Mindy mentioned Steve Reid in particular. He is the founder of three businesses – The Northampton Cheese Company, Friars Farm and The Northampton Charcuterie Company – and is soon to open a stall on the newly refurbished Market Square.

“He’s so good at what he does,” said Mindy. “And he’s encouraging to other people and those who would be seen as competitors. He still helps and encourages them.”

When asked about the strong sense of community that is evident to see among the town’s food and drink community, Mindy mentioned she recently promoted two local businesses on her Facebook page – who would be seen as her competitors.

“If you believe in yourself to do what you do best, there shouldn’t be any competition,” said Mindy. “I have no hesitation in recommending others and sending customers their way if I can’t do something. It’s hard to keep a business going, especially now, and we just need to help each other.”

Mindy has even been known to help start-up business owners register and point them in the direction of her stockists, as she believes there are enough customers for everybody.

The business owner’s proudest achievement of the past 12 years is the amount of charity work she has done – including bake sales and three 12-hour bake-athons.

When asked how SophistiCake Creations has withstood the cost of living crisis, Mindy said: “It’s still pretty bleak and I’m having to do other things on the side. It’s been nearly 12 years and I’m one of the only cake people going from when I first started.

“I teach music and drama on a Saturday and do some cleaning. Unless you’re making a wedding cake every week, you can’t make a living. The cost of ingredients continues to go up and I thought they’d start to come down after Covid.”

Looking to a positive future, Mindy will be attending the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards ceremony next month. She is a finalist in the Artisan Vegan/Vegetarian Product of the Year category.

She also has weddings lined up, including a cake soon to be delivered all the way to Bournemouth. Mindy is touched to have been chosen, when the happy couple could have picked someone closer to home.

If you would like to get involved in the ‘Tastes of Northampton’ series throughout National World’s Food and Drink Month, email [email protected].

To find out more about SophistiCake Creations, check out the business’ Facebook page here.