Liz Pyeman of Mama Pie
This month Working Woman became a huge fan of Mama Pie, beautiful handmade vegan cakes for mail order. The chocolate brownies are the best we have ever tasted!
What do you do?
I bake vegan cakes, using no dairy products or eggs, offering a delicious option for vegans and for people with food intolerances. My main focus is mail order, and most of my orders come from my website (www.mamapie.co.uk), with customers in places as far-flung as Caerphilly, Cambridge, London, Gretna Green, and the Lake District.
I also bake non-vegan cakes, brownies and cupcakes, and I design and make hand-painted plates for special occasions.
Where are you located i.e. work from home or business premises?
I rent the kitchen of a local church here in Sheffield, and bake my lovely delights there; my admin, promotion and everything else is done at home. I also hold stalls at various fairs and festivals throughout the year.
When did you start this role or business venture?
My idea for mamapie started several years ago, over lots of spicy food and cold beers while I was living in Thailand. My husband and I returned to England in 2008, and I held my first stall at Sharrow community festival. And my business has progressed steadily from there!
Why did you take up this role/business venture?
My idea for mamapie started several years ago, over lots of spicy food and cold beers while I was living in Thailand. My husband and I returned to England in 2008, and I held my first stall at Sharrow community festival. And my business has progressed steadily from there!
Why did you take up this role/business venture?
I've always been a bit obsessed with baking, and while living abroad I bought myself a tiny oven, as there was a serious shortage of really good cakes. I stumbled upon a recipe online for a vegan cake, and thought I'd give it a go. The results were delicious! When I came back to live in the U.K. and have my daughter, jobs were scarce, to say the least, and I decided to go for it and start my own business, offering my cakes to people who can't or don't eat animal products. I was particularly interested in the flexibility of self-employment, with a young child in tow.
How do you see your business venture developing during the next 12 months?
My business has been growing, slowly but surely, especially during 2010. I hope to see more growth, the establishment of some regular stockists, and just a general stepping-up of orders and interest, with more festivals and market stalls. I'm also considering expanding the ‘Cake on a Plate' idea I had back in 2003: offering a cake on a plate designed just for the customer. Generally speaking, raising mamapie's profile and increasing orders are my main objectives.
What have been the highlights so far?
I've loved the way my website is being visited by people all over the country, and I really enjoy being asked to make something really personal and bespoke. My most unusual request so far has been for a vegan chocolate fudge wedding cake, decorated with a yin-yang design, with half in sparkly rose pink, to match the bride's dress, and the other half in the groom's family Tartan! Hand-painting the Tartan was quite a challenge. I also really enjoyed a vegan cupcake-decorating workshop I taught at a local Children's Centre - letting the kids loose with sprinkles, tiny paper flags and lots of frosting, and seeing what they came up with.
And the challenges?
Juggling looking after my daughter with the demands of running my own business.
What do you think makes Sheffield a good place for women in business?
There's just so much diverse creative talent in this city, and I think there is a place here for any enterprising person to make their creative dream real. The support I've received from SENTA has been quite fabulous, and so inspiring.
Finally, how do you switch off from your day job!?
I hang out with my daughter, Esther, who's just coming up to 2 years old. Singing and playing the guitar are good ways to unwind, too. I do also bake for pleasure, if that counts as switching off....! A lot of my time is spent poring over baking and cookery books; I almost invariably end up finding some new cake recipe and vowing to try it out. Walks in Rivelin Valley are a real pleasure, and I am a great believer in cooking therapy. Now, where was that recipe I found the other day? Read all about the wonderful Mamapie