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Cake Crumbs - with Jodi from Sugar By Design Australia

Each month we feature one of our talented customers and share with you their story and tasty tips. This months feature, Jodi Pender, is quite the character and clearly injects love and laughter into everything she creates. Jodi explained to us that her business is to help others achieve the cake creations they desire. In her words "I work predominantly as a decorator, cakes are a rarity for me. Although I am very partial to eating them. My goal was to help families get proactive in the kitchen, make their own celebration cakes, fill the kitchen with a freshly baked chocolate cake smell (or sometimes burning cake lol) let the kids lick the spoon, make memories that pass down to the next generation. Almost everyone remembers the cakes that mum made when they were little and people want to recreate that with their children these days and some just don’t know how to anymore or work long hours and want to make buttercream and just need a little help with the hard stuff.

I do work for upcoming cake decorators new to the industry and some old hands too. It sometimes helps them balance the workload and perhaps gives them time to make an extra cake on the weekend by purchasing the decoration or gives them an opportunity to make a client cake that was otherwise a little out of their depth. My remote/rural Aussie customers that just don’t have the availability or resources like we do here are sometimes able to recreate the cakes that are trending without driving 400km to town to buy something for a birthday party. I have been in the trade for far too many years, 20+ I was taught to decorate by the most generous woman on the planet and am so lucky to have turned it into more than just a hobby. I have been making decorations and selling online via Etsy for around 2-3 years."

1. How would I describe my business to others?

I’m not quite sure how to answer that question. I have the best job in the world, I get to play with sugar all day.

2. What has starting your own business meant for you?

Long hours, long hours, long hours and long hours, did I mention long hours?

3. As a direct supplier to cake makers and decorators, what do you feel are the benefits to them of using edible images?

They taste heaps better than regular photo paper.

4. What’s my favorite type of design to create?

Although the business name suggests I Design, I am actually bloody awful at it. If any of my work requires a computer it is usually always accompanied with profanities. 

5. What is the current trend you are seeing in edible images?

Whilst photos always seem to be the most popular choice, cake wraps seem to be taking a little of the limelight and they deserve it too. A well printed wrap can make any cake look like it came from an upmarket patisserie.

6. What is the funniest, most unusual image you have been asked to create?

None that spring to mind but I look forward to creating it when it comes.

7. Do you have any tips you can share when either printing or applying edible images?

The ink will only ever run out when you need something urgently, keep a swear jar and spare full ink cartridges handy.

8. What is your career highlight to date?

Accidentally finding my work on the pages of the New Idea magazine and the day I finally remembered to wear gloves when changing the ink cartridges in the printer.