My Dad used to work for a silver company (Birmingham is renowned for silversmithery – I may have just made up that word?!?)  They used to sell to jewellers, department stores – and even Tiffany (the luxury jeweller rather than batwing wearing 80s postrel). At Christmas time they would send their customers presents – and one year despatched Fortnum and Mason stilton cheeses to people.  In the New Year a customer in Japan wrote back thanking them for the ‘cake’ that they’d sent!!  They must have thought it went very mouldy in transit – poor cheese!!

Now one of my friends sends cakes by post – and they always arrive in tip top condition and beautifully packaged – and could never ever be mistaken for stinky cheese!!!  Bee set up  the Very Smart Cookie Company sending mail order cakes around the UK.  Given I am not renowned for my baking (or actually any cooking type activities) this has been a godsend – so far I have:

• Ordered cakes for us at home – just to try out the service (don’t tell my personal trainer!). The kids have loved them – so much so that we had melt down from the 2 and 4 year olds in our local cafe yesterday as the carrot cake wasn’t like Bee’s!
• Had the sticky toffee pudding as dessert when we’ve had guests (everyone liked the ‘lightness’ of it)
• Requested a box to the holiday cottage we were staying in last October half term in Devon.  A warmed piece of salted caramel chocolate chip cookie bar with ice cream made up for the torrential rain outside!
• Sent boxes ahead to my sister’s house when we were invading for the weekend as my food contribution (it was a chocolate selection box – and everything went down a treat!)
• Took the chocolate chip orange drizzle cake with me for a dress fitting for my 40th birthday (thank goodness for the corset they also made!)
• Purchased a box for the aforementioned sister when she was stuck at home with a broken ankle (apparently it was worth getting off the sofa and hopping to the door for the postman for – high praise indeed!)
• Procured special mother’s and father’s day boxes (unsurprisingly for my Mum and Dad) which were selection boxes with added extras (daffs / chocolates / sparkles / hand written cards) – they went down very well, and 2 of everything meant the parentals didn’t have to fight over them!!
• Posted to a friend who was in the midst of a family crisis when I felt pretty helpless and wanted them to know I was thinking of them (this was specifically nut free – and I know gluten free and dairy free options are also available – so don’t be afraid to ask!)
• Dispatched one to a (mad!) friend who was running the London marathon – I’d envisaged it for carb loading pre race – but she saved it as a celebration and ate some of it in the car on the way home!
• And perhaps my very favourite (see my very first post To Blog or Not To Blog) ‘The Boozy Box’ – Gin and Tonic Drizzle, Rum and Banana Cake, Black Forest Tiffin and Di Sorono and Almond Frangipane Tart.  It was as amazing as it sounds (although I subbed the Rum and Banana Cake for more G&T drizzle – as everyone knows banana is the devil’s food!!)

 

I’m pretty sure there will be plenty more cake sending opportunities very soon!  Most people love cake (I certainly do – which is fairly evident – in the paraphrased words of Shakira ‘these padded hips don’t lie!!’) – so go and have a sneaky peak at the Facebook page – you won’t be disappointed!!  Unless you live outside the UK –  then you will be – sorry…….

 

(Now, in an attempt to sound like a ‘proper’ Blogger, I have not been paid (in cash or cake!) for this review – I just want to spread the love!)