FAQs

• Our production studio is based in Chislehurst, Kent, We are registered with Bromley Council and hold a 5* hygiene rating. We have level 2 Food Hygiene certificates along with Food Allergen and HACCP certificates.  We are fully insured with public liability also. 
• Visits to our studio are by appointment only, we are not open to the public. You will be given collection details for your cake along with your order.
• However we hold our wedding consultation appointments at our showroom space at Chic Weddings & Events in Gravesend. These are also by appointment only.

• Yes – all celebration or novelty cakes require a 50% non-refundable booking fee. Your order is not confirmed until your booking fee is paid.  The balance is then due prior to collection. An enquiry alone does not guarantee order confirmation.
• Wedding cake orders require a £250 non-refundable booking fee with the balance due one month before your wedding date.
• For short notice orders full payment in advance will be required.
• Please see our terms and conditions for full details.

• We suggest you book your cake in with us with as much notice as possible to avoid disappointment as we cannot guarantee last minute availability.
• Wedding Cakes – we recommend that you contact us 6-12 months prior to your wedding if your date is off season, or 12-18 months prior to your wedding if you are getting married in the peak summer months as we can get booked up well in advance.
• Celebration and Novelty cakes – we would recommend you book these in at least 3 -4 weeks prior to your event.
• It is never too early to contact us to start the booking process.

Please let us know with your initial enquiry if you have any specific dietary requirements or allergies.  We can make nut free and gluten free cakes, and we can produce some cake designs in eggless or dairy free sponge. Please be aware that these ingredients will be used elsewhere within our kitchens.  Whilst we will endeavour to eliminate cross contamination, this will not be 100% guaranteed. If you have a severe allergy, we would not recommend that you order from us. We do not bake Vegan cakes.

• We ask that if possible all novelty/celebration cakes are collected from our Chislehurst studio. Our collection times are between 10am-2pm Monday – Friday or 10am-12 on Saturday, unless otherwise agreed in advance. Please do not collect outside of these times. 
• We may be able to arrange local delivery, prices for this will be in addition to your cake cost. Prices will be from £10 and will depend on location and our availability.
• Delivery for wedding cakes is included in the cost of your order. 

• If you are collecting your cake we suggest that you place it flat, into an empty car boot.  If this is not possible, and if it fits, it may be placed flat into your cars footwell however you must be aware of not tilting the cake or having the heating on in the footwell.
• If the cake is tall or tiered, we DO NOT recommend that you place it on your car seats as it will tilt, and your cake may slip or topple.
• We DO NOT recommend that you place the cake on a passenger’s lap as any sudden movements may jolt the passenger forward and result in a squashed cake.
• If it is a very hot day, then we do recommend that you put the air conditioning on in your car.
• Once the cake has left our premises it is no longer the responsibility of Shelley’s Cakes 
• Please see our Terms and Conditions for further information.

• Each cake is baked fresh on the week of your order. Once collected we suggest the cake is eaten as soon as possible to be at optimum freshness, but it will still be ok to eat up to 5 days after collection if stored correctly.  
• Once cut your cake should be wrapped in cling film and kept at room temperature unless advised otherwise.
• Any unused cake can be wrapped and frozen if not to be consumed immediately. We suggest this is done soon after initially cutting it.  This can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months and should not impair the quality of the cake.

• Cake stands are available to hire for your wedding cake or for your event for a small charge, plus a refundable security deposit. It is your responsibility to return this to us within 3 days of your event (we do not collect these from your venue, unless specifically agreed).
• Your security deposit will be returned to you by bank transfer once the stand is returned to us and the condition is checked. Any damage to the stand will result in monies being deducted from your deposit 

• The answer in most cases is YES! We can mix the flavours on most designs and we would be happy to guide you on this. Whilst it is not as popular as it used to be, we can include a rich fruit cake within your design in many cases, either as the bottom tier of your wedding cake, or as the smallest tier at the top.  
• With the exception of fruit cake, we do not charge extra for multiple flavours.

• Whilst fresh flowers look great on a wedding cake, or on top of a tall drip cake, we do not provide these for you.  We are happy to liaise with your florist or can suggest florists that you can use to ensure they provide the correct flowers for you.  Care should be taken when using fresh flowers as many varieties can be toxic and are not food safe.
• As an alternative for novelty and drip cakes we suggest using silk flowers to decorate your cake.
• We also produce exquisite handmade sugar flowers for your wedding or celebration cake which can be removed and kept as a memento of your day.

• Kirstie has her own business, @cake_toppers_by_kirstie and she can provide you with personalised card cake toppers for your celebration cakes or wedding cakes, and also has a wonderful range of quirky animals in party hats or dressed as bride and groom with flower crowns and veil or top hat and bow tie – contact us for more details
• We can also source other acrylic toppers for you.
• We hand make Bride and Groom figurines for your wedding cake also.

• Our standard flavours are a delicious vanilla madeira sponge with jam and buttercream filling, decadent chocolate sponge with chocolate fudge filling or a tangy lemon sponge with a lemon curd and buttercream filling.
• All cakes are covered with a layer of white or milk chocolate ganache for stability before the sugarpaste or buttercream outer layer.
• All cakes will be a minimum of three layers, unless otherwise specified
• Many other flavours are available – check out our FLAVOURS page for further information.

• For celebration and birthday cakes, our smallest single tier cake will cater for a minimum of 10-12 portions and our prices start from £150
• All Wedding cakes are bespoke to each couple and the price reflects this. Please enquire for your free quotation today.
• All prices are based on level of detail and cake size, so contact us for further information