The full terms and conditions for Natalie’s Creative Cakes are detailed below. By paying a deposit, you’re accepting these terms and understand they will be applied to your order.
Health & Safety
As per our usual protocol we are taking necessary measures to ensure that our premises are sanitary, ensuring all surfaces are cleaned and disinfected regularly. As a registered and insured home business we are following the highest standard of food hygiene and take this very seriously, and to this end are proud to have been awarded a 5 star hygiene rating.
Payments
All cakes are priced on your exact design and size of your cake, as detailed in you confirmation email. Prices are based on the highest standard of unique skilled work and the top quality fresh ingredients used.
Quotes
Following your enquiry, your quote will remain valid for 2 months, or once a deposit has been paid to secure your booking.
Deposits
Once you have been quoted, in order to book and secure your order, a 50% deposit is required with the the outstanding balance due either one or two weeks prior to collection date depending upon the size of your order. No cake will be released until the outstanding balance is paid in full. As a small business, availability is limited week on week, particularly at busy times of the year such as Mother’s Day, Christmas etc. Your deposit is your assurance that the date is blocked out for you and that no other orders will be taken ahead of this. If you then cancel, I not only lose out on your order but also on the orders that have been turned down to accommodate yours, hence the need for the cancellation policy as highlighted below.
Deposits are requested to be paid via Bank Transfer and once received, you will receive a confirmation email.
Please be aware that once a deposit has been paid, any minor amendments requested to be made to your cake are at my discretion and to be made no later than two weeks prior to collection. A significant amount of time is spent finalising and planning your cake so even small changes are not always straightforward to accommodate.
For all floral orders, colour choices must be finalised a minimum of three weeks prior to your event. Bespoke flower requests must be discussed at the time of booking.
Preparation work will often begin on your order up to two weeks prior to collection date. This will include icing boards, spending many hours making bespoke models, ordering prints specific to your order as well as hours of planning and correspondence. Cancellations late in the day cost a small business money so with this in mind, I must stress that deposits remain non refundable and balance payment is due and payable one week prior to collection date.
Cancellations
If cancellation of the event takes place, I reserve the right to retain your 50% deposit. In exceptional circumstances, when a cancellation is made more than two weeks prior to your event and I am able and have availability to transfer your booking to a later date, your deposit, or partial deposit, can be moved towards the new booking, less any expenses already incurred. Cancellation must be made in writing, (via email) to Natalie’s Creative Cakes, and will only be deemed to take effect from the date your email is received.
I reserve the right to cancel the booking in very unusual circumstances which fall beyond my control, (e.g. ill health) during which I will refund any money taken. Any cancellations made 1 week or less prior to your order will be charged in full.
Collection & Transportation of your Cake
Cakes must be collected from our premises. I cannot be held liable for any damage that is rendered to the cake at the venue after it has left the premises. Therefore, I ask that you check your cake before you leave. Please ensure the table, stand etc. where the cake will be placed is stable as I cannot be held responsible for any accidents or breakages.
As cakes are very delicate and fragile, I recommend if transporting by car, that the cake should be placed on a flat surface, to prevent the cake sliding off its board. NEVER put a cake on a seat as this can be extremely unsafe and result in the cake sliding off onto the floor, if you needed to brake suddenly. The front passenger footwell or a flat car boot is the safest place, or if you’re travelling with a passenger, on their knee. Please ensure that the aircon is switched on in your car as an overheated car can result in a cake that becomes compromised or melt. Cakes must not be left in the car overnight but placed somewhere cool and away from direct sunlight or heat sources such as a radiator.
Orders
It is your responsibility to read and check your quote thoroughly, and add any amendments to be made by email. This includes all spellings or wording to be included on the cake as I cannot be held responsible for a misspelling that has not been picked up when a confirmation that all details are correct has been given. Each and every cake is made individually by hand and I like to ensure every cake is one of a kind and unique, therefore if you have an exact design in mind, please be aware that slight changes might be made to ensure it does not exactly copy any other cake maker’s work.
Allergies and Special Diets
Please be aware that your cake may not include Gluten/ Dairy /Alcohol/ Nuts etc., but they are still used on premises and they still may contain traces of such ingredients.
Storage
Fondant cakes and cupcakes must NOT be refrigerated. This will accelerate the staling of the flour and effect the icing condition, and will alter the taste. Keep in a dry cool room is the cake box and eat within 6 days.
Buttercream cakes should be refrigerated in their box in hot or humid spring/ summer weather and gently brought to room temperature before serving.
Cupcake bouquets should not be refrigerated, but kept somewhere cool.
Damages
Please remember cakes and their decorations are very delicate and fragile. I cannot accept any responsibility for any damage that is incurred after it has left my possession.
Non-Edible Items
Most cakes include and contain small inedible items. It is your responsibility to remove these prior to cutting and serving your cake. These items include, support dowels, ribbons, wires, flower picks plus more. You will be notified of each inedible items on your cake on collection.