Wedding Cake Price Fixing

Sizzler

Folks,

I know there has been a few similar topics on here before about this but wanted to get some recommendations for specific bakeries around Dublin area that do wedding cakes.

Have just started getting around to ordering the cake and although we are not overly bothered about the "need" to have one, we thought it would be good to have it none the less.

I am staggered by the non-existent competition there seems to be, every place I have phoned are saying "from €400", not one of them has gone 1 euro below that price. WTF?

I am not asking for some 20 layer extravagant cake with imported icing from South America with life size bride and grrom on top FFS, all I am asking them for when I call is a basic 3 tier wedding cake which will cover 100 people.

And I thought with all this recession talk places would be delighted to get a few hundred quid in! To put it into perspective, I was at a friends milestone birthday a few months back and they got a giant cake, fed 80 people there and there was a slab left over ! The cost? €80 and it was gorgeous.

Are bakeries getting the boot in just because its a wedding, certainly seems like it :mad:

Your experiences?

dats_right

Sizzler wrote: »

I am staggered by the non-existent competition there seems to be, every place I have phoned are saying "from €400", not one of them has gone 1 euro below that price. WTF?

Unbelievable stuff an immediate complaint to the Competion Authority is what is required!!

kayos

I think a lot of services involved in a wedding try and make as much out of it as possible simply as its a wedding and your will end up paying.

I remember hearing some one one before that the hotel they booked would only allow cakes from certain places. This came up as they had a family member going to do the cake....

Sizzler

dats_right wrote: »

Unbelievable stuff an immediate complaint to the Competion Authority is what is required!!

Don't be ridiculous, I did that last year when I heard about this excessive anti-competitive practice, I think now whats called for is engaging Paul Appleby in the ODCE and try and secure a Prime Time investigates slot

Sizzler

kayos wrote: »

I think a lot of services involved in a wedding try and make as much out of it as possible simply as its a wedding and your will end up paying.

I remember hearing some one one before that the hotel they booked would only allow cakes from certain places. This came up as they had a family member going to do the cake....

LOL farcical, in fairness anybody who has their weddding in a place like that deserves to get treated like shoite.

NextSteps

It's a joke, it's only a cake at the end of the day. Why not make your own or get someone to do it? Or ask for an iced 'birthday' cake to see what they offer..

CathyMoran

We spent a fair bit on ours but saved on other things, we wanted penguins...we feel that we were treated fairly as we got the cake of our dreams...it all depends on what you want.

Emerald Lass

I'm thinking down the route of getting something very plain and rather than going for fancy schmancy suger icing - which I do appreciate is very skilled work, so cost a few quid - but instead thinking of going very plain, simple, no frills and as my sis is a florist, using fresh flowers to decorate. then having a few actual 'gateaux' like a choc cake etc as an extra. Went and priced - guess what? bugger all difference in price in getting 3
tiers, cream icing, no frills nothing? about €50 off the basic price? its only a small wedding and I know most people aren't pushed one way or the other for the actual cake, its just for the idea of it really.

Am now thinking of getting 3 white christmas cake typies from M&S juzzing them up with flowers and ribbon or sumat, and then getting a nice big feck off gooey choccie cake for dessert! I know that the work that goes into some of the cakes is exceptional, and I do appreciate that it is a skill, but my problem is with the fact that a simply iced cake is still so expensive????

Sizzler

Emerald Lass wrote: »

I know that the work that goes into some of the cakes is exceptional, and I do appreciate that it is a skill, but my problem is with the fact that a simply iced cake is still so expensive????

Totally agree with you. There is no disputing that the more 'fancy' cakes demand a lot of work and dexterity to make them what they are but the fact remains as you say the price for a BASIC iced cake is ridiculous.

I know my OP was a bit of a rant but I find it strange that a) All shops seem to have the same pricing...cant do much about that! and b) If you tell them you want 3 birthday cakes of different sizes that would equate to the same as a wedding cake then you can be sure the price wont come to €400 or anything like it!

emc2

If you want just a plain cake, a friend of mine used M&S in the north. They do a wedding cake service for reasonable prices and their cakes are lovely. They order it for you and then you'll probably have to pop up and collect it. It will add 2 trips up to the cost but I think he got his for around €100.

Emerald Lass

M&S is getting more attractive by the day! and the money I save with be spent on a big, gooey sinful thing which when I stick it in my gob will make me happy I spent the money on that instead of a piece of sugar icing!

M&S here I come! lol

Sizzler

Got my cake sorted. Just a word of warning for folk who are getting quotes for €400-€600. This is a total rip off, the mark up is HUGE on these cakes. I am getting mine from a place on the southside who supplies some of the better known cake shops around Dublin *cough*. Anyway, do your best to shop around is the name of the game, I am getting mine for 40% less than the exact same cake is showing in a cake shop in South County Dublin

NextSteps

Care to share?

molly54

My friend in Dublin makes them for about €300. She is very good. PM if you need further info. Or can I put her details here?

lilyrose

Emerald Lass wrote: »

I'm thinking down the route of getting something very plain and rather than going for fancy schmancy suger icing - which I do appreciate is very skilled work, so cost a few quid - but instead thinking of going very plain, simple, no frills and as my sis is a florist, using fresh flowers to decorate. then having a few actual 'gateaux' like a choc cake etc as an extra.

hi. i have to say the mark up of cakes is really high in shops as they have to pay the costs of staff and premises etc. as i make cakes in my own place i have none of these costs so when the shop is costing you €400 + the cake you described would only cost you about €150 with me.
so my advice is try the independant places as they are usually far more competitve and have low costs. there is usually some chef somewhere that does it on the side.

Emerald Lass

lillyrose - where are you based? fancy a nixer in Dublin???? or do you know someone who can?