Let them eat cakes

Michael Thomaides is conquering the world, one sweet tooth at a time. Like any good strategist on a mission, he's taken geography into consideration. All of his empire is easily reached on the Piccadilly Line, a straight shot from his West Kensington home. A former pastry chef, his empire is made of cakes - Candy Cakes to be precise - and he's got four strongholds spread across Covent Garden, Fitzrovia and Kingly Court.

"I'm trying to keep the shops near each other so I can keep an eye on them," he confides. Plus, when you're in the business of creating and selling some of the sweetest confections in the capital, it helps to be able to walk from one outpost to another. "I have to work off all that indulgence and quality control!"

Such is the success of his addictive creations, however, that the luxury of surveying his empire on foot won't last long. Concessions are going into department stores, and new shops are in development in Cyprus, Turkey, Greece and Saudi Arabia. These will serve cupcakes of the same winning formula as in London - a sizeable hunk of cake with a glossy layer of eye-popping icing, finished off with a flourish in the form of Licorice Allsorts, jellybeans or just about any other sweet you can imagine.

Michael started out in the kitchens of hotels like Le Meridien and the Four Seasons, making tartes tatin, wedding cakes, éclairs and the like. Candy Cakes was a reaction against the strict limitations of standard pastry. "We started to go out of our parameters that were traditional in the industry. A lot of it's very mundane, very boring. I think having been told all the time what we should use and what we shouldn't use sometimes you have to become creative. Why can't we make it more fun, more exciting, more interesting? The answer was, you can." The result is something altogether more vibrant and whimsical than an old lemon tart. "Every Candy Cake's individually designed and it's got a character and a personality. A bit of art in a cake!"

When not cooking, walking or taste testing, Michael indulges his tennis habit with friends at The Queen's Club, located conveniently near his home. Keeping fighting fit helps him stay on top of things in the kitchen and office, and it seems to be working. Candy Cakes has a loyal following of civilians and celebrities alike, having catered for Madonna's 50th birthday party and Nelson Mandela's 90th. Recent in-store celeb spots range from actress Helen Bonham-Carter to supermodel Kate Moss.

When asked which of the myriad cake varieties is his favourite, Michael doesn't hesitate. "Blueberry cheesecake. It comes with a purple icing and its base ingredient in the middle is cheesecake - it really is lovely, really yummy." So like a true conquering hero, it seems he's leading the charge from the front.

Let them eat cakes

Members Comments

Add a Comment