How many flavors do you offer at tastings? - Page 2

Well, look at that, and it came thru bright and clear !

At my initial tasting I provide three cake/filling flavors, and my normal (vanilla creme bouquet) icing. If the customer wants to choose three additional flavors to sample, I'm going to charge, but then apply the charge to the cost if they book.

Thanks cakeforte for the transitional wording, that's exactly what I needed.

Kathy

I don't do formal tastings any more - it became just too much for me to handle! I simply explain that unlike a bakery, I don't have a daily supply of fresh baked goods. As a one-woman show, I simply do not have the time requirements to specially bake products for each consultation, in addition to my weekly orders. What I can offer them is a sampler package of the flavours I am baking to fill that week's orders. I prepare a plastic container with cake pieces and fillings that I am preparing that week and they can pick it up on the Saturday or Sunday following my weekend deliveries. I write on the lid what the flavours and fillings are.

If they want a particular flavour, then I will look through my upcoming orders and tell them which week I will have that flavour. They have the option of waiting for their sampler package or taking the current week.

I don't bake separate cakes for these samplers - when I level my cakes and remove the top (which is the best part in my opinion ), I cut the top into squares and put them in baking cups.

They just come and pick up their package and leave so that means any one of my family can answer the door and give them their cake box. Their consultation is done separately before the sampler package.

Most of them book right at the consultation and are very understanding and I haven't had any negative feedback. And I'm very lucky that only maybe 5% of my clients ask for samples so it is very easy to manage this way.

I bake for 4-6 wedding cakes per week so usually there is enough variety for me to choose from.

I do 3 different flavors of cake, usually something heavy like rich chocolate, something light like white chocolate or yellow, then something different like lemon or red velvet, then use 4 different fillings that could go with all of them. Even though its just a tasting I make it a visually presentable as possible because people do a lot of their eating with their eyes. I use clean cut even portions cake, nice round equal dollops of filling on a pretty plate.

One client just told me she didn't hire me because I didn't let her choose the samples....I had 4 cakes w/ 4 fillings....and 5 appointments that day. She was "confused as to what she was getting with her order".

I told her this is no way I'm baking 20 combos of cake for free, and that the samples are to give her an idea if she likes the taste, as I really only use two recipes to come up with everything. I mean she was very nice about it and said she's used me for birthdays and such (which who really knows)....I just thought that was an odd excuse.

that is weird???

How many samples they get at a tasting depends on how many guests they expect at the reception (and ultimately how much cake I am likely to sell.) I get the # guests during the initial phone inquiry.

<50 guests = 1 sample of cake.
>50 - <75 = 2 flavors of cake
>75 = three flavors of cake.

I make a one layer, torted 4" round. I cut a 10" cake board either in half for a 2-flavor tasting, or into thirds for a 3_flavor tasting.

Cakes and iced and filled with vanilla bc.

I usually have basic fillings on hand - Bavarian creme, strawberry creme, raspberry creme and lemon creme. If they want to try any or all of those, I give each person a spoonful.

I can reassemble the cake board and it all fits into a 10" pie box and they can take their leftovers home.

Although I offer 30 flavors of cake, on my Tasting Menu I offer 9 only. If they want a different flavor, they have to purchase a 6" round for $36. All the varieties on the tasting menu are variations from white cake and chocolate cake.

Thanks leah, this is really useful info for me, do you charge for an initial tasting?

I don't charge for the tasting.

I don't charge for tastings, and because I do in-clients-home consults, I bring 3 flavors of cake and 6 fillings in those clear plastic mini cupcake clam shell containers. They're single use, look cute if you use a coloured cupcake liner under the fillings and cakes and my clients often comment on the cuteness of these "cake kits". It works well for me. I bring one for each person in attendance wrapped with a ribbon and with my biz card stuck on top.

Even if there are 6-7 peeps?

For those of you who freeze your samples, how long do these samples usually freeze for?

Also Mensch - don't you need to reconstitute the smbc before serving? Just wondering...

"Even if there are 6-7 peeps?"

Yup...

I don't do tastings either... have never had to ( a lot of my biz is word of mouth, and usually the word is they taste great). But if I had a request for one, I would probably let them choose 3 flavors they were intersted in and pull out some of the 1" squares from the freezer : )

I bring chocolate and white cake, along with trad. bc and then two filling flavors of their choice.

Debi, where did you get those little square containers for your filling?

GFS. Product #6889801 for the white ones. Product #6889601 for the black ones. They come 50 to a package for about $8 (last price update I show on my spreadsheet). I also use these for dessert tables, to serve 2" squares of cheesecake, choc covered strawberries, etc.