About

Anne-Mie

Having a small dinner party with a few friends at home, Anne-Mie Brock was not having a good day, when her friend said: ‘Why don’t you sell cakes, these taste delicious. That was in 2009 and Time 4 Cakes was born.

Anne-Mie has a successful corporate career behind her, which started in her native Antwerp in Belgium where she started out as a secretary in an American offshore company. She later transferred to their UK branch in Gt Yarmouth. For 13 years she worked in a global transport company as an assistant to the MD, where she built up a network of friends, some of whom after 25 years are still very much her special friends, and much later joined a printing company, where she would build up skills as a corporate sales manager and a health & safety manager.  This last company shows an impressive list of high-profile clients.  They print luxury stationery items for, the Queen, Gucci, Burberry, Alexander McQueen, Madonna, Elton John, Bono, and Stella McCartney but to name a few, in addition to stately homes such as Somerleyton Hall and Holkham Hall in Norfolk.  Giving the highest level of customer service, and producing a high-quality product is still what drives Anne-Mie to this day.

When it all started

The daughter of a baker, Anne-Mie had grown up running around in the bakery, watching her dad make cakes for every occasion.  When she would ask: ‘How long should that be in the oven’ the answer would be ‘until it is ready. Although baking is an exact science, a feel for ingredients working together and looking for consistency are what make a great baker. Anne-Mie always enjoyed making birthday cakes for her own children and went back to college to learn the traditional skill of decorating a cake and the art of sugar-craft. This awakened a passion for making beautiful cakes that customers would appreciate. There is nothing better than the smell of baking lingering in the kitchen, and seeing the delight on customers’ faces when the cake has been transformed into a beautiful piece of art.

When her daughter Amy graduated from university, Anne-Mie now felt ready to set up her own business to make wedding cakes and celebration cakes from home.  None of this Anne-Mie has been able to do without the network support that is her family.  Anne-Mie is grateful that her own dad passed on some of his ‘special’ recipes dating back to when he went to school in the 1940s.  His own dad was a baker who baked for the forces during the war.

The Ingredients

The special taste of all cakes comes from using just wholesome ingredients, so no unnecessary additives, local produce such as free-range eggs, butter, NOT margarine, Belgian chocolate and of course marzipan!

Since setting up the company, Anne-Mie has done lots of research and offers a range of cakes for those with intolerance to gluten and wheat, in addition to dairy-free cakes. Sherry may be used in our cakes, but again this can be substituted without losing any of the taste. Kindly let us know of any dietary requirements. We can supply gluten-free, and dairy-free cakes, but not egg-free or vegan cakes. All our cakes are produced in a kitchen that uses nuts, gluten, dairy and lactose, and for our clients with any intolerance, we would be happy to provide a list of all ingredients used in our cakes. Please contact us for more details.

Anne-Mie’s Passion

Anne-Mie feels truly passionate about the cakes she makes and the ethos the company stands for. Making pretty cakes and elegant designs lay at the heart of what she does best, and she feels lucky to deal with happy customers who look forward to a fun day. The heartwarming compliments of customers never cease to overwhelm and Anne-Mie takes great pride in hearing all the gossip following the happy events. The addition of a little ladybird to all the cakes is often a point of discussion at parties, and it gives Anne-Mie that unique sense of a job well done.

Great Customer Service Award 2010

After being nominated as a Finalist in GY Enterprises ‘Great New Business 2009’ competition, Time 4 Cakes went on to win the ‘Great Customer Service Award’ in 2010, an award we are very proud of.

Dragon’s Den Winner 2011

Time 4 Cakes was shortlisted to present their case for funding in a Dragon Den-style competition organized by NWES.

Amidst fierce competition, we demonstrated that we mean business in creating bespoke wedding cakes, cupcakes and novelty cakes.

Winning this funding/award meant a lot to us. We have our clients to thank for this too, as they have an idea or passion which we turn into a cake. Thank you to everyone!

Enterprise 2012 Award

Anne-Mie won the Gt Yarmouth College of Further Education Best Enterprise Award 2012 and was presented with another Award by Jessica-Jane Applegate, London 2012 Olympic Gold medallist.