We understand that change isn't easy. Last July, we made the single biggest change in our business' history when we moved into our current location at 25137 Plymouth Rd. That was a difficult time filled with so many unknowns but here we are a year later. Since moving, our food has improved dramatically. Our ability to bake in an oven that is consistent is incredibly beneficial to our final product. That coupled with freezing our baked goods on the same day they're baked means our food is better and fresher than ever.
Moving also shed a light on menu items that sold well and others that sold not so well. You might notice some of your favorite items are gone. We didn't like cutting items, but in order for us to operate effectively, we cannot be everything to everyone. Part of running a small business is making difficult decisions. While we had to cut some items, other items had to change in order not to be cut.
Our Fern Cakes are very popular. However, when we moved, our 50 plus year old tart press didn't survive the journey. On top of that, the liner tins that we pressed the dough into are no longer in production. That meant we either stopped making Fern Cakes, we try to find an automated tart liner press, or we outsource the tart shells. Of course, we didn't want to stop making Fern Cakes. Fern Cakes are our second best selling sweet item next to shortbread. We shopped around for an automated tart press, but the $20,000 minimum investment isn't something we could justify, especially considering that cost was only for the machine.
That left option 3 - outsourcing our tart shells. Lucky for us, we found Wick's Pies out of Indiana. Wick's has been in business 5 years longer than us (they started in 1944) so they are a multigenerational family owned small business. Their tart shells are wonderful. They are made with lard so they are impeccably flaky. When we made the shells in house, we used margarine which made a softer shell, but the taste was displeasing. We are absolutely thrilled to be working with Wick's and featuring their tart shells in our new Bakewell Tarts.
Bakewell Tarts are larger Fern Cakes. The recipe is the same, but instead of small tea cake, Bakewell Tarts are big enough for 2-4 servings each. We top ours with roasted slivered almonds because we dislike the traditional glace cherries that Bakewell Tarts in the UK usually have on top. Joe explains our shift to Bakewell Tarts in more detail in the video above.
Bakewell Tarts are available in our Scones and Sweets category and also on Amazon