FAQ
Yes. Whilst we state some bakes are nut free, we do have the following nuts in our bakery: tree nuts - walnut, almond, brazil, hazelnut, pistachio as well as ground nuts - peanut.
Whilst we show in our Pull Down (Nut Free) menu on the home page, a list of cakes without nuts, this is simply to assist those from checking every single cake for nut ingredients.
We understand the concerns customers have, and we take extreme care when using nuts as follows:
a) We have nuts stored in a separate box - away from other ingredients.
b) We do not re-use the same utensils/bowls/trays for making cakes containing nuts - we clean each separately.
c) We clean down the baking tables between each new bake. The team disposes of cleaning clothes/paper and gloves as and when using nuts for baking and/or decorating.
d) Ingredient deliveries e.g chocolate, flours are checked for a 'may contain' - as example of this is our Polka Dot cake which contains 'Choc Beans' with a 'may contain' statement. We have listed this on our website and it is not in the 'nut free' section despite having no nuts in the cake.
e) We have the following disclaimer on our packaged goods 'Our kitchen handles tree nuts, peanuts & sesame'
Any new products being developed will be made without nuts. @August 2023
No. We are and have been a dedicated gluten free bakery for the past 14 years and will continue to be that way.
The gluten free grains / flours we use in place of traditional flours are a combination of white/brown rice, buckwheat (flour & groats), corn/polenta/maize, millet, light and dark teff, potato, oat, sorghum, tapioca and gram (chickpea) flours.
We also use nuts and seeds, e.g. peanut (ground nuts) hazelnuts, walnut, almond, pistachio, chestnut, nigella, fennel, cumin, hemp, sunflower, pumpkin, chia, flax/linseeds.
We use a range – from dried fruit, fruit purees and vegetables, maple syrup, a natural fruit sweetener made from carob and fruit, organic coconut palm sugar and xylitol. Information on these ingredients is below.
The information below is obtained via www. We do not intend to provide dietary advice. Customers should do their own research if consuming such ingredients for the benefit of their health and diet.
Xylitol
Xylitol is made from the sap of birch trees (xylan). Xylitol has the same degree of sweetness as sucrose but has 40% less calories and a GI value of 7, and doesn’t spike blood sugar or insulin. Unlike other sweeteners Xylitol is an important supplement in the prevention of dental problems and is well known by diabetics. We use Xylitol in the following bakes:
- Banana & Choc Chip Loaf
- Peanut Butter Caramel Cups
- Pear & Pecan Cookies
- Chocolate Torte – Sour Cherry Brandy & Chestnut Rum (Xmas) – pls note the alcohol contains a little sugar so the torte is not completely sugar-free
Coconut Palm (Blossom) Sugar
We get ours via an organic farm in the Philippines. It is a pure and simple low-glycaemic alternative to cane sugar, rich in potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron and Vitamin B. However, it is not that low in the GI list (35-40) as it contains sucrose and a little fructose and glucose. It tastes a little like butterscotch! We use it in:
- Peanut Butter Caramel Cups
- Pear & Pecan Cookies
Maple Syrup
Maple syrup is made from maple tree sap that's been boiled down to reduce the water content and concentrate the sugars. Those sugars caramelize, resulting in maple syrup's characteristic rich color and flavor. It takes about 10 gallons of sap to make just over 1 litre of maple syrup. We use 100% Pure Grade A Amber Maple Syrup and the brands we use do not contain high fructose corn syrup. The GI value is around 54, so it’s quite high (normal white sugar is 65), however it has a huge amount of antioxidants and a small amount of nutrients such as manganese and zinc. To be used sparingly.
We use Maple syrup in the following bakes:
- Peanut Butter Caramel cups
- Banana, Cacao Nib & Pistachio Granola
- Sour Cherry Bakewell Granola
Fruit ‘Syrup’
We use a fruit based syrup, made from Apples, Grapes & Carob by the brand Sweet Freedom‘. No chemicals are used in their process – just water. Not all fruit is high in fructose. Sweet Freedom has just 23g of fructose per 100g, unlike agave (90g/100g). It has a GI of just 35 and has 25% fewer calories than sugar. We use it in:
- Banana Choc Chip Loaf
- Apricot, Almond, Tahini granola bars.
Removing sugar, gluten, dairy and eggs (and sometimes soya and nuts) requires a lot of practice, not only to make it taste and look good, but ensure it doesn't fall apart and also to offer a shelf life of more than 3 days. We regularly explore other natural sugar alternatives in the marketplace. Watch this space!
Chia seeds, flax/linseeds, soya milk/cream, rice milk, chickpea water (aquafaba), olive, rapeseed and sunflower oils, fruit purees, nut butters, tahini paste. ‘
Sunflower spread (contains sunflower, palm & linseed oils, salt, vitamins, natural flavour & natural colour) and ‘Trex’ – both contain RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) certified palm oil. The ingredients used are Palm: 57 (+/-3%) and Rapeseed: 43 (+/-3%). Trex contains no allergenic oils.
We use organic soya milk and soya cream in some of our bakes. Soya lecithin is an emulsifier in our dark chocolate (EXCEPT the no cane sugar chocolate as it contains sunflower lecithin). For further information about soya lecithin please read below:
The dark Belgian chocolate used in a number of our baked goods contains up to 0.6 % soya lecithin (E322). Soya-derived lecithin is an emulsifier – it is a lipid (fat) which stabilises foods which contain water and fats; in chocolate, lecithin stops the cocoa and cocoa butter from separating. Since lecithin is a fat, soya lecithin does not contain soya protein except as residues. Soya lecithin does not contain sufficient soy protein residues to provoke allergic reactions in the majority of soy-allergic consumers. Many allergists do not even advise their soybean-allergic patients to avoid soybean lecithin when it is included as an ingredient in food products. However, as some customers may wish to avoid any trace of soya, we note its presence on this website and on our labels.
All products are labelled with a BBD (Best Before Date). If received in a cardboard box, just place in an sealed container (e.g Tupperware) until required. Depending on what kind of summer we have and the internal temperature of your premises, it is recommended chocolate items (or items with fresh fruit that are not consumed within 24 hours) should be chilled.
All whole cakes should ideally be refrigerated and removed from fridge 2 hours before enjoying.
We offer all customers a prompt service with their cake enquiries. The turnaround time requested is a minimum of 3 week days however, certain cakes & bakes can be available in 24 hours. Please either phone or drop us an email (often a quicker reply).
I'm sorry but we do not make bespoke cakes e.g Teddy shapes or Wedding cakes but can recommend some who do.
For private customers, we use 2-3 delivery companies that charge a fee, depending on weight and distance. For further information, please check our delivery page. Please note: Customers within London who have chosen courier delivery located outside of Zone 2 will be contacted should the cost of delivery by the courier company be higher than the price quoted here – this is because of the increasing rise in fuel.
Collections can be made at any of our markets (Borough) or direct from the bakery in Battersea. Social distancing in place.
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For wholesale customers, we offer 3 delivery services, depending on weight/volume and distance. One of these is from an established reliable company that we've used for years who would require a key for your cafe/deli premises and who delivers between the hours of 12 midnight and am. The other companies deliver during the day.