If you’d like to travel, meet fabulous people, work with the elite in your chosen industry and see all the best places around the world there are several careers to choose from including airline pilot, travel agent, private chef, photographer or… gourmet Cake Designer! As the founder of ‘MonAnnie’, Fen Bolodeoku creates elegant, bespoke, ‘flavour-first’ gateaux and sweet-treats for celebrations that take place in exclusive locations such as the South of France, Lake Como and many of England’s finest stately homes including Blenheim Palace and Cliveden. The cakes are created specifically for a discerning clientele of well-travelled ‘foodies’ who themselves have exquisite taste and a keen eye for detail. Here Fen talks about what inspires her work and the massive team of experts and associates who all collaborate alongside her to produce a prestige event; in the words of one well-known event designer: ‘It takes a village‘…
All our clients are VIP’s; we give each of them our best, and treat them with the utmost respect and discretion. That said, we are open about the fact we were involved in Joe Jonas’s and Sophie Turner’s wedding…
Fen Bolodeoku, Founder, MonAnnie Cakes
N.S: “Fen, what most inspires you to produce your incredible cakes and why did you start your business?”
FB: “I found solace in baking during a dark time in my life, it was probably the only thing that I could do that brought me peace; as I recovered, I became more intrigued by cake production and was inspired to explore it in all its glory – and MonAnnie was born. I’m inspired by nature – I love flowers in particular, also fashion – couture gowns have such delicate detail that create depth and interest, plus I appreciate good architecture… and to be honest anything with interesting form and texture that I can involve to tell a story on a cake. I love sugar flowers; a cake with some sugar flowers and a few intricate details is probably my favourite type of cake to produce. Flavour is important; for summer weddings, the most requested are lemon, strawberry and champagne; pistachio and rose; tonka bean and apricot. The best thing about that aspect for us is that our clients love to share with their guests the flavours which are most meaningful to them – so we are regularly inspired by them to create something new…“
“Who would be your dream client in the future?”
“I’d love to make a cake for royalty one day! And out of all the couples currently engaged to be married, the actress Michelle Dockery from the TV series ‘Downton Abbey’ and Jasper Waller-Bridge would be amazing to work with, as would Katie Perry and Orlando Bloom…”
We’re part of the International Weddings and Events Services Providers Association (IWESPA); they connect wedding and event service providers in Zambia to each other and the International Community. That’s headed by destination wedding planner Mwai Yeboah”
Fen Bolodeoku, Founder, MonAnnie Cakes
“Which event/wedding venue have you been most impressed by, to date?”
“I love Italian venues – Villa Sola Cabiati (above, left) and Villa Erba (above, right) really struck a chord with me; Chateau Tourreau (below, left) in Provence is beautiful. In the UK, Cliveden House and Blenheim Palace (below, right) do stand out to me…”
As event production teams work incredibly closely together, we’ve been honoured to work with some amazing wedding industry creatives… for example, fine art wedding photographer Christina Ilao (MonAnnie images throughout this feature) and international wedding designer Joy Proctor, Paris-based wedding designer Jana Brown and Wedding Sparrow (below, from left to right)”
Fen Bolodeoku, Founder, MonAnnie Cakes
“Which bridal/couture designer would you say is currently your favourite?”
“It’s so difficult to choose just one! Galia Lahav (above, left), Elie Saab (below), and Alonuko (above, right) are three designers I love at the moment, but there are so many more…”
Our calligraphy is all produced by the amazing Laura Elizabeth Patrick (see sample invitation below); her ‘skill with the quill’ is undeniable! Our photography is mainly done by Christina Ilao and we’ve also had the honour of working with Eva Tarnok, Amy Mulder, Christoph Serrano, and Victoria Amrose…”
Fen Bolodeoku, Founder, MonAnnie Cakes
“When it comes to drinks to serve with my cakes, my preference would be Dom Perignon Rose 2005 and Chateau Minuty’s ‘Rose et Or’ – these two, I love…”
Fen Bolodeoku, Founder, MonAnnie Cakes
“I know from my own experience how crucial it is to get every detail perfect in the run up to a major event, and vitally on the day itself; what do you consider to be the top three most important aspects for someone new to the events industry to remember?”
“No .1: Remember, you’re an artist and your skill is valuable – so, charge accordingly. No. 2: What makes you an ‘expert’ is not just your creative ability to make a perfect edible work of art, but also your ability to fix things if they should ever go slightly wrong. No. 3: It’s important to find your own voice and continue to grow…”
We’re delighted to cater afternoon teas, picnics and smaller occasions… patisserie is one of our signature items to create…”
Fen Bolodeoku, MonAnnie Cakes
CONTACT MONANNIE CAKES: http://www.monanniecakes.com
