Page 3 | How much for a slice of cake for school funds?

Tiredofwhataboutery · 2025-05-29T11:54:05+00:00

Sports day tomorrow, as usual request for baking have been made. There’s generally quite a lot of donations and I volunteered at the Christmas school fair and there was a lot left over. Local businesses also donate cake shop and bakery etc which is nice if you worried about hygiene. It’s £2 for a slice (not huge ) £2 for tea £1 for squash £1 for smaller cookies etc. I just think it’s too expensive it used to be half the price. Do you think it’s too much or is it reasonable?

Palestar · 29/05/2025 13:44

I think the drinks are too expensive. Maybe they could meet in the middle and be 50p less as a single item, or 50p more for the drink + cake (difference of a pound).

PrimoPiatti · 29/05/2025 13:43

It's a FUND RAISER......purpose, the raising of funds.

Moveoverdarlin · 29/05/2025 13:41

Our school would charge a £1 for cake and £1 for tea and coffee.

Barcelina · 29/05/2025 13:39

Squidgemoon · 29/05/2025 13:24

At my DS’s school the PTA asked for donations at the last cake sale rather than pricing everything individually, which I think was quite savvy as no-one wanted to look too cheap! I ended up giving a fiver for a cup of tea, a can of pop and a biscuit for DS!

Oh that's inspired 😂 No-one would ask for change either!

Shatteredallthetimelately · 29/05/2025 13:38

I will add before MNers get going.....

As much as I know that its not just the boiling of water and a few other factors are in the mix too...
I think in most establishments the cost of a tea bag and cup of lukewarm/hot water is over priced....so yes I'd say £2 is expensive for a cuppa.

Cakes, as they've all been donated could be charged at less.
Don't forget at sports day events, if possible mums/dads/GP's all like to attend and the costs for a drink and cake will soon add up...there's every possibility you're likely to lose out on a sale if over priced.

nomas · 29/05/2025 13:37

Squidgemoon · 29/05/2025 13:36

Hand it over! Hence people not wanting to look cheap …

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Wow that’s bold!

Squidgemoon · 29/05/2025 13:36

nomas · 29/05/2025 13:26

Did you have to hand over money or put it in a bucket anonymously?

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Hand it over! Hence people not wanting to look cheap …

Gundogday · 29/05/2025 13:31

I think it’s too expensive. Our local bakery charges £2 per cake and I thought that was a lot.

I think:
£1.50 cake
£1 tea or coffee
50p squash

strawberries and cream for £3 is fine

Barcelina · 29/05/2025 13:30

SayDoWhatNow · 29/05/2025 13:28

I would pay £2 for a nice piece of fancy cake as a one off for the school ... I would not pay £2 for a cup of tea or £1 for squash!

Yes, and if I couldn't have a drink with it, I wouldn't buy the cake!

I think you'll sell much more cake if you sell the tea at 50p and the squash at 20p, which still gives a profit.

SayDoWhatNow · 29/05/2025 13:28

I would pay £2 for a nice piece of fancy cake as a one off for the school ... I would not pay £2 for a cup of tea or £1 for squash!

TheSwarm · 29/05/2025 13:28

You have to be pretty tight to bemoan £2 for a cup of tea supporting your kid's school, when you'll pay that at a coffee shop quite easily. It's maybe 50p too much, but really, so what?

BusyMum47 · 29/05/2025 13:26

@Tiredofwhataboutery

So don't buy any then. 🤷‍♀️ No-one is forcing you to - or anyone else, for that matter.

Although, all the money raised goes back into the school to be spent, ultimately, on the kids.

Bbq1 · 29/05/2025 13:26

Tiredofwhataboutery · 29/05/2025 13:03

Local bakeries have donated loaf cakes or big cookies before that are nice but possibly not £2 each nice. Oarents it’s always a mixed bag of really quite nice cake through to the kids made crispy cakes.

I thinks it's pricey because the cakes were mostly donated so it's almost all profit. It's a couple of quid for a large box of teabags
Cakes should vary on price from 50p - 1.50 a slice. Squash should be 50p and tea, 80p.

nomas · 29/05/2025 13:26

Squidgemoon · 29/05/2025 13:24

At my DS’s school the PTA asked for donations at the last cake sale rather than pricing everything individually, which I think was quite savvy as no-one wanted to look too cheap! I ended up giving a fiver for a cup of tea, a can of pop and a biscuit for DS!

Did you have to hand over money or put it in a bucket anonymously?

nomas · 29/05/2025 13:25

Tiredofwhataboutery · 29/05/2025 13:24

We do strawberries ( optional cream) for £3 which also seems steep to me.

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Yep a whole punnet is £1.50 in Tesco right now. I wouldn’t be paying £3 for a small cup.

Squidgemoon · 29/05/2025 13:24

At my DS’s school the PTA asked for donations at the last cake sale rather than pricing everything individually, which I think was quite savvy as no-one wanted to look too cheap! I ended up giving a fiver for a cup of tea, a can of pop and a biscuit for DS!

Original poster

Tiredofwhataboutery · 29/05/2025 13:24

Womblingmerrily · 29/05/2025 13:21

I wouldn't want to buy cake at a sports day.

I would be thirsty, but not for hot drinks and not really hungry for cake - that's more a sit inside sort of thing.

Our school used to do very well with cups of fruit/water melon slices/cans of drink - strawberries are cheap at the moment - donating fruit is also less effort than making cake.

Could keep the local bakery cake donations for those that want that and ask parents for donations of fruit.

We do strawberries ( optional cream) for £3 which also seems steep to me.

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nomas · 29/05/2025 13:23

Tiredofwhataboutery · 29/05/2025 13:20

Portions are generally small. School is in a small village with a big rural catchment. Probably fairly middle class but lots of lower income families too.

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I wouldn’t pay £2 then. I can get a home baked slice at that price at work.

Pigsears · 29/05/2025 13:22

£1.50 cake, £1 tea, 50p squash.

Some of the people coming to school fetes wouldn't be going to Costa.... (Or at least not where we live...) So should be very affordable.

It's about community first, money second. Imo

Womblingmerrily · 29/05/2025 13:21

I wouldn't want to buy cake at a sports day.

I would be thirsty, but not for hot drinks and not really hungry for cake - that's more a sit inside sort of thing.

Our school used to do very well with cups of fruit/water melon slices/cans of drink - strawberries are cheap at the moment - donating fruit is also less effort than making cake.

Could keep the local bakery cake donations for those that want that and ask parents for donations of fruit.

Original poster

Tiredofwhataboutery · 29/05/2025 13:20

ToKittyornottoKitty · 29/05/2025 13:00

Depends on the portion size, and to a large extent where the school is.

Portions are generally small. School is in a small village with a big rural catchment. Probably fairly middle class but lots of lower income families too.

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IndieRocknRoll · 29/05/2025 13:18

Well the fact you had loads left over last time tells you what you need to know!
I think £1 max for tea/coffee. I’d also charge the same for cake. 50p for squash.
People tend not to carry much cash or loose change these days so probably couldn’t pay £2+ even if they wanted to

ShakeNvacStevens · 29/05/2025 13:18

I stopped making cakes for work bake sales when I realised that selling at £1 a slice wasn't making enough profit to make it worth the cost of ingredients and the hours I'd spend making them (I use real butter and homemade frosting etc). So I get why they're charging £2 a slice especially as the price of butter, eggs etc has gone up so much over the last couple of years. I wouldn't pay £2 for a rice krispie cake though.

Original poster

Tiredofwhataboutery · 29/05/2025 13:18

MoreChocPls · 29/05/2025 13:12

£1 for squash!!!!

I know 🙈 my kids are older but it used to be 20p at earlier sports days.

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Original poster

Tiredofwhataboutery · 29/05/2025 13:16

Barcelina · 29/05/2025 13:07

I think school fetes are a strange thing. Coffee and cake in Costa or a pretty tea garden, £10 (?) and they'll be busy all weekend.

Coffee and cake at a school fete, raising funds for your DC's school and anyhthing more than £1.50 is too much....?

I agree £2 is too much for a plastic cup of tea, but if the cakes are good people should be prepared to pay £2, but probably won't.

I think cake is tricky, a nice looking cake is not necessarily a nice tasting cake. Im possibly skint / tight but a fiver used to be a cup of tea, a squash and a nice selection of cakes for us all to nibble. Now it’s a fiver for a tea, one slice and a squash. I’m not donating less but I’m not really willing to spend more.

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