With an open mind and a true talent for baking and cake decorating, Lesley Bromhall-Lloyd, Owner of The Sugar House in Brantford, says she tries to accommodate all personalities and preferences when it comes to your wedding day cake and confectionary needs.
Having worked her way up over the years from bakery assistant to Master Cake Decorator and Chocolatier, Lesley's passion for pastry is evident in the cakes (both cup and mini), sugar cookies, truffles, pies, tarts, brownies, éclairs and many more delicacies she offers for wedding desserts and favours. But that's not all you'll find in the House as Lesley also offers brides and grooms free consultations and cake tasting and a buttercream icing tiered cake (which is a rarity in the wedding cake world).
No matter your budget, Lesley says she will work with you to find something that suits your needs and local brides rave that Lesley's cakes are to die for. Having decorated and delivered over 150 wedding cakes in just four years with an honest and easy going personality and a commitment to live up to each client's expectations, it's no surprise that The Sugar House is almost famous. We met with the enthusiastic and outgoing Lesley in her comfy storefront to see what all the local brides have been talking about. Let us explain...
Personally speaking...
Lesley's love affair with sugar began with her first job at the age of sixteen when she worked at an in-store bakery. By the time she was nineteen she was the Assistant Bakery Manager and shortly thereafter the Manager. "When I was twenty-one, I was convinced that at some point down the road, I would start my own business and open a store making cakes and chocolates," says Lesley.
That day came sooner than she expected when, in 2005, a conversation with some family friends forced her to ask herself why she was waiting. With no good reason for an answer, The Sugar House opened four months later on April 1, 2006.
The Sugar House has been in business for four years, but Lesley has been decorating cakes for eight and wedding cakes in particular for six (two years as a hobby and four since she opened the store). The store has been increasingly busy every year since it opened.
"I couldn't imagine myself doing anything else with my life," Lesley told us. "I absolutely love what I do, and my heart and soul is in every 800 square feet of my little store!" When asked what keeps her inspired after creating so many wedding cakes, Lesley told us that it's all of the different people she meets and works with from day to day. "Everyone has their own ideas and expectations of me, and I try my best to live up to every single expectation."
Master of the house...
Though she has about a dozen certificates and accreditations for workshops and courses, Lesley says that the most relevant (and impressive!) diplomas and certificates she has are the Master Cake Decorating Diploma from McCall's School of Cake Decorating, Master Chocolatiering Diploma from L'Ecole Chocolat, and the Basic Patisserie Diploma from Le Cordon Bleu.
Lesley has also been written about in The Brantford Expositor for her Christmas Selections - products that she made for November and December in 2006 and 2007.
A 'Cinderella goes to Hollywood' themed castle cake that Lesley made is also featured on Slice TV's Party Mamas, which aired in September 2009.
As if that wasn't enough to add to The Sugar House's fame, they also donate countless gift baskets and gift certificates to local charity events. Lesley also does public speaking at schools and in her store to talk about career options and has volunteered at senior homes to make chocolates for Christmas activity days.
A diverse, laid back and accommodating style...
Because Lesley has worked with tons of people, she knows that each one is different. "There isn't any real 'norm' that I've come across with brides," she says, which is why she says she tries hard to keep an open mind.
This open mind is also what helps Lesley to get along with a variety of personalities - it helps that she is so diverse too. "I am a local, down-to-earth kind of girl..." To prove this, Lesley told us that the music she always has playing at her store changes on a daily basis, "One day I could be listening to Andrew Lloyd Webber, and the next I could be listening to I Mother Earth!"
Regardless of her ever-changing musical tastes, there are some things that Lesley says stay constant, and that is that she is honest, easy to get along with and willing to accommodate all types of personalities and preferences. "I enjoy trying new styles and ideas so I take on all types of wedding styles," explains Lesley.
It seems that couples agree that Lesley is easy going, including Lisa and Michael Harp who had a faux (display) cake, edible slab cake and chocolate favours created by The Sugar House for their June 2008 wedding reception. They described the staff at The Sugar House as very personable people, "They seemed willing to do whatever it took to give us exactly what we wanted." They add that their experience working with Lesley was wonderful. "She was very informative and friendly and made us feel very comfortable and valued," they told us.
"I think I enjoyed working with Lesley just about as much as I enjoyed eating all the cake!" says Meagan Ling. The Sugar House made a three-tiered wedding cake and a groom’s cake (with a very realistic looking fondant football and baseball) for Meagan’s wedding on October 6, 2007. Meagan told us, "Lesley was a great listener and took our opinions and requests into consideration right away... she was always willing to put down other projects she was doing to answer our questions and provide us with quick responses."
What sugar is in-house...
When we asked Lesley what she thought she was best known for in the cake-making industry, she said it's the taste of her cakes. "Often, during a consultation, clients remark on how moist my cake is!" says Lesley. And with so many different options of cakes, candies, chocolates and other delicious goodies, there's sure to be something for every sweet tooth - though she does also offer sugar-free options.
What Meagan says she liked best about the options at The Sugar House was the variety in them. "Lesley's cakes are also very artistic and she is very creative," she adds. "She created our dream wedding cake flawlessly, which was amazing since she was just going by our imaginative thoughts."
Angela Mattka told us that she could tell that each order at The Sugar House is unique and that they try to capture everyone's request the best they can. Angela had a three-tiered wedding cake (with the top two layers being fake and the bottom being real) created by The Sugar House for her July 2008 wedding. She says that her and Lesley combined a bunch of great ideas to make her dream cake. "Lesley was really flexible and creative in helping me," Angela told The Ring.
Lesley told us that she makes wedding cakes (both real and fake), as well as cupcakes and mini cakes. But The Sugar House isn't just great for your wedding cake, because they also make edible favours, such as decorated sugar cookies and a variety of chocolates (ranging from truffles to chocolate covered cherries). "We also offer chocolate covered strawberries decorated like little brides and grooms," says Lesley, which are both unique and very cute.
Lesley also puts her patisserie skills to good use by offering a variety of pastries, including pies, tarts, brownies, an assortment of squares and over twelve varieties of assorted cookies. Fancy pastries come in the form of cream horns, cream puffs and éclairs. "We can arrange these pastries on trays or provide them boxed to fill up a dessert table," explains Lesley.
Have your cake and eat it too...
When you visit The Sugar House for your free consultation you also get to taste their delicacies - also for free! During a cake tasting, potential clients can try any eight of The Sugar House's cake flavours - vanilla, chocolate, marble, lemon, carrot, banana, pecan and orange. "I also let clients try fondant, along with two different kinds of icing," says Lesley. Plus, she is willing (and able) to do wedding cakes made of buttercream, a service that Lesley says some cake decorators don't offer.
Lesley told us that she has decorated and delivered well over 100 wedding cakes in the three years since she has been open. "I've also catered dessert buffets for brides (which does not include serving) to feed 200 people." She has also been a part of wedding trends and has made pies, cupcakes and mini cakes instead of wedding cakes. "A lot of people tell me they feel that their guests are more likely to walk up and take a cupcake as opposed to a slice of cake," she explains. Lesley also points out that for brides on a budget her price for cupcakes are a little bit cheaper than the cost of a wedding cake - not to mention you could avoid the cake cutting fee that most venues charge.
Packages and pricing...
Speaking of brides on a budget, even though Lesley says her pricing is comparable to local competition, she understands that brides have budgets, which is why her pricing is flexible. "If the quote I give you is not within your set budget, I will work with you to try and reduce the cost of your cake," she says. Lesley adds that the average bride spends between $200 and $300 at The Sugar House.
Meagan told us that during her search for her wedding cake, she found that The Sugar House was the only place that offered prices within her budget. "Lesley's cake price (including the delivery charge from Brantford to Mississauga) was not only in our budget range but slightly under it!" she explains. "Plus, after all of the cake tasting sessions, Lesley's The Sugar House won hands down!" In fact, Meagan loves Lesley's cakes so much that she is constantly recommending The Sugar House to others and has been back there many times since her wedding for cakes for other occasions.
Though the cost of the cakes, cookies and candies at The Sugar House vary depending on size and flavours, here is a sampling of Lesley's prices: Wedding Cakes are $3 to $5 per serving, though Lesley notes that they're usually closer to $3. Cupcakes are $1 to $2 each and mini cakes are $3 each. Two-tiered mini cakes are $6 each.
Chocolate prices are subject to weight but they're usually around $0.55 to $1 each, which is an affordable and delicious option for guest favours. Decorated Sugar Cookies (also perfect for favours), depending on the size, are usually $1 to $3 each.
There are no taxes on the cake unless it's fake, but there is tax on delivery and on any stand rentals required (i.e. for cupcakes). Delivery and set-up of a cake in Brantford is $25 and in Cambridge is $40. If you live elsewhere but just have to have a cake from The Sugar House, Lesley can quote you on a delivery charge. A 10% non-refundable deposit is required to book your cake.
"The prices were fantastic!" Lisa and Michael told The Ring, who have already recommended The Sugar House to other couples. "We didn't even use our entire budget on the cake and the quality and value seemed to exceed the cost... [our cake] looked fabulous and tasted even better." Angela says that The Sugar House’s pricing was outstanding and they also came in way under her budget.
Walking you through it...
Email, drop in or phone to make an appointment with Lesley for your free consultation. She recommends booking six months to one year ahead of time, but will take bookings up to one month before your wedding if she's available. Lesley only books a maximum of three wedding cakes per day to make sure that each one is the best it can be - in both appearance and taste.
At your free consultation you'll get to sample the cakes of your choice and then decide what you want yours to be. "Usually brides will put down a deposit following that consultation, but if more consultations are needed, that's not a problem," says Lesley. The second consultation is the week before the wedding to double check the final details and to pay the balance.
Lesley is the key player at The Sugar House, but she does have one or two other people who may bake the cakes or make the icing just to give her some extra hands, but she does all of the cake decorating. She's also the one who meets with brides (and whoever else they want to bring with them) and she's there on the wedding day to set up the cake at your reception venue. "Usually I have my mom help me set up the day of the wedding because it is always nice to have an extra set of eyes and hands," says Lesley.
Angela was pleased with Lesley from her very first meeting with her, telling us that Lesley was very interested in her ideas and bringing them to life. "I didn't feel rushed and she had very good suggestions. She was easy to talk to and I didn't feel pressured into getting something I didn't want," says Angela. But her favourite memory of working with The Sugar House was seeing her cake for the first time at the reception hall, because she says that it was better than she expected.
Meagan told The Ring that Lesley is a sweet and genuine person and that purchasing a cake from the Sugar House is equivalent to purchasing an experience. "Lesley truly loves what she does and she does it well. She is a very hard worker and is determined to meet the needs and fulfill the wishes of all her clients."
It's clear to us - and local brides - by meeting Lesley and checking out The Sugar House that they go above and beyond with their cakes, taking great care that they not only look fabulous, but taste amazing too. There are so many options available for brides and grooms and Lesley is friendly, fun and very easy to talk to.
Details, details, details
• Consultations and cake tastings are free and take place at The Sugar House by appointment.
• Once you’ve picked out your goodies from the many options available (6 months to 1 year ahead of time), a 10% deposit is due with the remaining balance due 1 week before your wedding.
• Wedding cakes range from $3 to $5 per serving.
• Cupcakes are $1 to $2 each, mini cakes start at $3, chocolates are $0.55 to $1, and sugar cookies are $1 to $3.
• Delivery and set-up of a cake in Brantford is $25 and $40 in Cambridge, plus taxes.
