Fathom-ised…

If you’ve been wondering why it’s been so quiet on the Lulubelle’s front recently it been partly due to local Integrated Marketing agency Fathom!

We do love a challenge in the Lulubelle’s kitchen and when Fathom came to us asking for ideas of an Easter gift for their many many clients, we jumped at the chance to offer them our fabulous Cupcake in a Jar – it’s perfect for this kind of promotional opportunity as not only does the product offer all sorts of branding opportunities, it’s also safe and easy to sedn through the post allowing fathom to reach their customers all over the country (and indeed the whole of Europe!)

It was a bit of a mission, 300 cupcakes to be baked into jars, decorated, branded, wrapped and taken to the post office (don’t think we were very popular with our local branch on that day!!! However, in our usual style, we got the job done on time and on budget and the guys at fathom were very happy with the results.

More importantly though, their clients were happy with the cakes – a nice little surprise before Easter – and a little different to the ubiquitous chocolate eggs!

Here’s what Fathom and their clients thought of the cupcakes…http://fathom.uk.com/blog/2012/04/have-your-cake-and-eat-it-%E2%80%A6with-fathom/

Hidden extras? Yes please!

Fabulous post from the very talented Jess Boston – you can read more of her wise words here.

This week is National Cupcake Week and in the interests of supporting this most worthwhile of institutions, I bought a mixed box of cupcakes from Lulubelles in Winton to share with some visitors I had coming for tea.

There was much oohing and aahing over the pretty decorations, colours and flavours as everyone made their choice. I selected a “Jaffa” cupcake, one of the limited edition flavours created specially for Cupcake Week. It smelt divine and looked beautiful, a pale sponge base with a swirl of vibrant orange icing drizzled in chocolate. I was expecting it to taste good, but what really put a smile on my face was something I had not been expecting…the cake had a “smashing orangey bit”! The orange jelly layer you get in a real Jaffa cake! It was delicious but the surprise extra something was what made it so special.

Customers want to be surprised and delighted. Offering something above and beyond what they expect using creativity, thoughtfulness and attention to detail may not cost much and it will increase customer satisfaction, encourage customer retention and provide the potential for word of mouth or social media marketing for your brand.

Think about how you could add a “smashing orangey bit” for your customers…or get in touch and I’ll help you come up with some zesty ideas that will make a real difference to your small business!

Lulubelle’s Cupcakes are coming out of the closet… …Ollie’s Closet that is!

Lulubelle’s Cupcakes and Ollie’s Closet are teaming up for a joint venture that’s the first of its kind in Dorset. This exciting partnership will see Lulubelle’s move into a specially fitted kitchen at the back of Ollie’s Closet, a children’s clothes and toy retailer in Cardigan Road, Winton.
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Essential kitchen kit…

Links to the kit we use in the kitchen each and every day…not a definitive list, but hopefully a useful one!
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My favourite bit of kit…

Those of you who follow Lulubelle on Facebook or Twitter will probably have spotted fairly frequent posts questioning the whereabouts of my ‘very-favourite-incredibly-useful-use-it-a-thousand-times-a-day’ spatula, for those that haven’t let me explain…
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Holidays are good for business…

Holidays are good for the soul. I’ve always believed that and still do. Taking a break from your everyday life, stepping away for a few days always gives you a fresh perspective and usually a renewed energy for life. It’s not always about the sun, the amusement parks or excursions; sometimes it’s just about it not being what you do every day.
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Fish feet… (another holiday post!)

I’ve always enjoyed a fish finger sandwich, it’s a great and satisfying yet easy to make weekend snack. Turns out though, there’s a certain type of fish that in return like to eat our feet! Today I went to a Fish Foot Spa where a tank full of 1000 Garra Rufa fish nibbled at my feet for lunch.
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Vintage inspiration…

We’re loving all things vintage at the moment – tea parties, posh frocks and of course, cupcakes! And we’re especially excited to announce the launch of our Shabby Chic Cupcake Stands, each one hand-made and totally unique….
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Why it’s ok to buy yourself a christmas gift!

I don’t normally review products on here but I just had to share this with you…
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Speedy coverage…

I had a small but perfectly formed panic at the beginning of the week when I realised that we are having a stall at the fabulous Party in the Park next week and despite loads of preparation, recipe tests, ingredient purchasing and general list making I had for gotten to order aprons for my team. I’d promised them cute little aprons that would not only protect their clothes on the day but also make it clear who there were working for – Aprons with logos on!
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