Terms and Conditions
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Full terms & conditions for Cakes by the Park are detailed below. By paying your booking fee it will be deemed that the terms and conditions are understood and accepted as applying to your order.
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Payment Conditions
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Prices
All prices are non-negotiable and priced according to your exact design and the size of your cake.
Following your consultation / enquiry, your quote is valid for up to 1 month. Paying your booking fee will secure this price & the slot in the diary.
Booking Fee
A non-refundable £100 booking fee is required in order to secure the commission of your cake and chosen date with Cakes by the Park.
If your booking fee is not paid within 2 weeks (for wedding cakes) of quoting then I reserve the right to cancel any previous arrangements.
Cheques are not accepted.
Payment
Payment should be made by bank transfer to HSBC, Sort Code 40-35-18, Account no 45131324. Please email me with confirmation of transfer in order to prompt acknowledgement of the payment.
Final payment for your wedding cake is required no later than 4 weeks before the delivery. It is your responsibility to remember to send this payment, as a reminder invoice is not issued.
Cheques cannot be used as payment method.
If full payment is not received and cleared in my account before cake collection / delivery then the order will not be released.
Cancellation
If cancellation of an order takes place, I reserve the right to retain your non refundable £100 booking fee. If cancellation takes place less than 7 days before the event then I reserve the right to seek 100% of the order value.
Cancellation must be made in writing (by email) to Cakes by the Park and will only be deemed to take effect from the date your email is received.
If you postpone the event I will endeavour to transfer your order providing the date is suitable for myself, otherwise it shall be treated as a cancellation (see above).
I retain the right to cancel the booking in very unusual circumstances beyond my control, such as fire or ill health, during which I will refund any money taken in full.
Design Condition
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Alteration & Changes
It is your responsibility to read & check the quote thoroughly; any amendments to design should be made in writing.
If requested, I will endeavour to adjust the design where possible, but sometimes this is not possible according to the nature of the request or amount of notice given. If the alteration affects the cost, or preparation work for the original design has already been undertaken, then your balance will be adjusted accordingly. Please warn me when you pay your booking fee if you are undecided on the design.
I reserve the right to change the design at any point if circumstances beyond my control, may compromise the quality of the finished cake, e.g. Melting due to weather.
Each cake is made individually by hand, so although every effort is made to ensure consistency, a small amount of variation may occur from the design requested / picture supplied.
Chocolate
I recommend extreme caution if you are considering a cake decorated with chocolate for a summer wedding (May-September). I cannot accept responsibility for any melting of the cake once it has left my possession, as I have no control over the environment / venue temperature. I can however advise you of designs that are less susceptible to melting and do everything within my control to reduce the impact on the cake.
Flowers
If your cake requires fresh flowers, then these are not included in the price. I can work with your florist but expect you to make all the necessary arrangements with the florists. Please note Cakes by the Park is not responsible for any problems with your fresh flowers.
I cannot take responsibility for any damage rendered to the cake caused by a floral arrangement that was implemented by your florist.
If fresh flowers are used, the cake will be set up as late as feasibly possible to ensure their freshness throughout the day, but depending on the varieties used & the weather conditions at the time, it may be necessary to cut the cake relatively early on in the proceedings to ensure their freshness for the photography.
Allergies & Special Dietary Requirements
Special Diets
Please discuss with me if you or any of your guests have special dietary requirements. Cakes can be made gluten free / egg free and alcohol free.
Please be aware that although ingredients such as nuts can be removed from the cakes, they are still used in my kitchen so I cannot guarantee that any of my cakes are completely free of them.
Non-edible Items
Most cakes contain small proportions of inedible items; it is the client’s responsibility to ensure these are removed by your caterer/guests before consumption e.g. Support dowels in tiered cakes, ribbon, wires in sugar flowers, Swarovski crystals, flower picks & flower tape etc.
Some flowers (e.g. Ivy) are poisonous and not suitable for use on food products, you should notify your flower supplier of your intention to use the flowers on food to ensure that non-poisonous flowers are used.
Delivery Conditions
Delivery charges are calculated on a mileage and time basis. Alternatively, cakes can be collected from my premises.
If you choose delivery, it is my intention that your cake will be delivered in perfect condition prior to the start of your event. However I ask for patience with factors that may be beyond my control (e.g. traffic conditions) as I cannot be held liable for any such delays. In some circumstances, I may recommend the cake be delivered 1 day in advance. It is your responsibility to ensure you inform me of your correct ceremony and event time plus the postcode of the venue. In the unlikely event of late delivery, the maximum compensation will be a refund of the delivery price.
I cannot be held liable for any damage that is rendered to the cake at the venue once I have left the premises. It is with this in mind that I require somebody responsible, to check that they are happy with the cake before I leave.
If you chose to collect the cake, I will not be held liable for any damage to the cake once it has left our premises. Tiered cakes are most at risk during transport; I highly recommend you check your wedding insurance covers cake damage. To ensure your cake is as fresh as possible, I recommend it be collected the day before the wedding.
Late requests for delivery (after securing the booking based on collection) will be accommodated where possible, but cannot be guaranteed, as earlier delivery commitments must take priority.
Cake Setup
It is the clients responsibility to ensure arrangements are made for the cake table, linen, cake stand & knife, which should all be set- up prior to my arrival. If any delay is incurred due to these not being set-up, I reserve the right to charge for any delay incurred (labour / time costs at £15 per hour). Alternatively please arrange for the cake to be left with the event manager to assemble / move into position as appropriate. Please take extra care to ensure a stable cake table is available if you are having a marquee wedding, as surrounding floorboards can easily rock the cake once stood on.
Storage & Consumption
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Damage
Please remember that cake decorations are very delicate items, and I cannot accept responsibility for damage that is done to the cake after it has left my possession.
If any damage is rendered to the cake after it has left my possession, then you can advise me and request a repair, which will be costed accordingly, including transport costs if appropriate.
Portion Guide
Our portion guides are intended as a guide only. This will vary dependant upon how the chef cuts the cake.
Best Before Date / Storage Conditions
Your cake is baked to ensure it is fresh for the date of your event, I cannot guarantee its quality if it’s consumed more than 48 hours after the event. My cakes are made entirely of natural ingredients, so I’d like to remind you that because of this they will not have the extended shelf life of most supermarket cakes, which contain additives and preservatives to ensure their prolonged life. Freezing the cake however, preserves the taste of the sponge and icing as much as feasibly possible, but please bear in mind that it will affect the visual appearance of the icing, as condensation will form upon defrosting.
Food hygiene recommendations recommend that food should only be frozen for a maximum of 3 months
If you plan to keep any of the cakes tiers, please advise me what cake boxes you would like to be left on site (so that you can safely transport them the following day). Otherwise I shall remove all cake boxes from the venue to ensure I leave it as tidy as possible.
Sugar paste cakes should not be refrigerated, as it will cause condensation to form on the surface of the icing. Refrigeration also accelerates the staling of the flour in the cake.
Hire Of Cake Stands / Accessories
If you would like to hire a cake stand or decorations, then a cash deposit and hire charge is required prior to release.
Deposit amounts and hire charges vary dependant upon the value of the item being hired.
Please make arrangements to ensure items hired are safely returned to me within 3 days of the cake release.
Once I receive the clean, hired item back I will release the deposit held subject to no breakages or damage.
Complaints
If you have concerns about your cake, please notify me upon collection / delivery of the cake so that I have the opportunity to rectify it in time for your event. All other concerns should be made in writing, and evidence of the fault should be included. No refunds are given due to change of mind.
In the unlikely event of late delivery, the maximum compensation will be a refund of the delivery price. I ask for patience with factors that may be beyond my control (e.g. traffic conditions) as I cannot be held liable for any such delays.
Refunds are at the discretion of Cakes by the Park.
I pride myself on my personal yet professional service. Thank you for using my services.