The Proof is in the Pudding - 'Cake-preneurs' see a Business in Baking

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Nov 11, 2011, 12:36 ET

LONDON, November 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- Rise in new baking businesses sparked by Great British Bake Off

54 per cent increase in start-up caking making businesses
325 per cent increase in cake making businesses since 2009
Cake baking rises to 18^th most popular start-up business idea in Britain

The current popularity of home baking sparked by shows such as The Great British Bake Off appears to have inspired a new generation of 'cake-preneurs', according to new data from Simply Business, the UK's largest online business insurance broker.

The company has seen a 54 per cent increase in quote requests from start-up cake making businesses this year and a 325 per cent increase since 2009, as bakers try to emulate the success of recent Great British Bake Off winner, Jo Wheatley, and the star of BBC show Baking Made Easy, Lorraine Pascale.

The figures are based on over 250,000 quote requests received by Simply Business so far this year, of which 2,139 were from new cake making businesses, up from 1,459 at the same time last year and only 370 in 2009. Cake baking is now the 18^th most popular start-up business idea, up from 27^th last year.

91 per cent of the 'cake-preneurs' are women, however there has been a slight increase in male bakers, from eight per cent in 2010 to nine per cent this year. The majority of cake businesses are being started by those in their 20s and 30s, with 42 per cent of those starting a cake business falling between the ages of 25 and 34 and a third (32 per cent) between 35 and 44.

Jason Stockwood, CEO, Simply Business, commented: "As Simply Business quotes thousands of businesses every week we can quickly spot start-up trends and see which are increasing or decreasing in popularity. With resurgence in home baking due to shows such as the Great British Bake Off, it was only a matter of time before we saw this impact the start-up business market. It is also interesting that despite the recession and subsequent tightening of belts, there is still a market for the little luxuries."

Elsa Santana, aged 34, set up her cake making business, Let it be Cake (http://www.letitbecake.co.uk), in August 2011 after leaving her career in IT to start a family. Talking about her experience Elsa commented: "I'd been baking cakes for friends and family for years and three months age decided to take the plunge and launch Let it be Cake as a proper business."

SOURCE Simply Business