National Cupcake Week - let them eat cake!

National Cupcake Week is happening from the 15th until the 21st September and aims to celebrate creativity and passion for these sweet treats. It is designed to help UK based bakery businesses boost their sales by promoting the popularity of their mouth-watering cupcakes. 

The annual event which began in 2009 is hosted by British Baker; a magazine which covers the entire baking industry. Throughout the course of the week, British bakers are encouraged to raise money for Wellbeing of Women, a charity dedicated to improving the health of women and babies, either by fundraising or by donating a percentage of their sales. Alongside National Cupcake Week, the annual National Cupcake Championships is held to reward and celebrate the skill of the British cupcake industry.

Facts and Figures

In recent years the British cupcake industry has thrived. Mintel, the London based market research firm, recently published statistics suggesting that the volume sale of small cakes has overtaken large cakes. Their research reveals that the sale of small cakes grew by 19% between 2011 and 2012 and overtook the sale of large cakes with a market share of 44% and 37% respectively. They also noted that one in four Britons who eat or buy cakes say they would like to see more cake sold in individual portions.

British baking has enjoyed a surge in popularity after the success of the BBC’s BAFTA award-winning series “The Great British Bake Off”. The televised baking competition judged by cookery writer Mary Berry and professional baker Paul Hollywood sees them select the best amateur baker among the contestants.

Home-baking is also on the rise in Britain. Between 2009 and 2012, launches of baking ingredients and mixes posted 100% growth and the UK now ranks second in Europe for new product launches in this category. The British, it seems, have a new national obsession.

In 2013 alone, the number of start-up cake making businesses doubled, bakeware flew off the shelves and consumption of cupcakes seems to be in a state of exponential growth. Ruth Tierney, writing for the Mail, even went so far as to say that baking as a national pastime has even become a post-recession economic lifeline.

Evidently, National Cupcake Week has been a resounding success, particularly with the British publics ever growing obsession with baking programmes. We’ve become an inspired nation striving to create the perfect buttery biscuit base and fanciful fondants. British bakers will be hoping that increased sales brought on by the success of events like National Cupcake Week will expand the market for small cakes still further in years to come.

By Tom Evans