to think £2 is a ridiculous price for a cupcake?

[reptile]

THe Swallow Bakery has opened in Cheltenham and I thought I'd have a cup of coffee and one of these cupcake things that everybody's been going on about (I don't get out much).

I was staggered that they cost £2 and beat a hasty retreat. Is it just me, or does anyone else think the recession can't have bitten too deeply when lots of people can/will pay this much. Also, what are they like, as I'm too mean to buy one?

Ealingkate - do you own said shop?

there is an appallingly poncey cupcake shop in Windsor. They sell these big muffin things, covered in bright red icing (not buttercream, just icing) for a fiver.

I swear to God they are just tesco blueberry muffins with a bit of icing on top.

GetOrfMoiLand you're making my day

No, I was just down in Cheltenham for the weekend, perhaps it is too much and I've been brainwashed.

But I did buy one every day I was there!!

I actually (to my shame) screamed "Are you having a laugh?!" at the skinny twelve year old manning 'Cupcake Queen' (there was a thread about the woman who owns this business a while ago - the silly mare who paid her kids' school fees out of selling cupcakes - I can see how, now! And she'd obviously sent her own children to the festival as staff) at Latitude this year when he said it was £2.50 for a stale fairy cake (not even a big cupcake style cake) with a squidge of buttercream icing on it.

I paid with gritted teeth and much glaring because DD hadn't eaten all day and it was the only thing she'd condescend to try. And she said it was grim after she'd licked off the icing.

I may apply for my own stall next year. Mine cost me 45p to make (and that's with sheds of icing and posh sprinkles) and are LUSH, I tells ya. I'll even call them buns if it makes you happy, Hecate!

in West London I'd gladly pay £2 for a cupcake (if the icing was nice). You'd be lucky to find one that cheap though

There is a wonderful place in Leeds which has just one a big shiny award for one of their cakes (best in Britain or something). Their cakes are so moist and rich and taste amazing and they are beautifully iced, no the fancy fairy princess with glitter type of icing but big dollops of chocolate mousse or something equally yummy. They cost £1.50 and are worth every penny.

Indith, what's the name of that place in Leeds? I would like to go there next time I'm oop north.

I was in Cheltenham at the weekend and saw this shop on our way to the Town Hall.

As soon as I recognised it from the thread last week I made sure we gave it a wide berth before DD spotted the overpriced delights within!

my friend has just opened a buisness selling cupcakes £25 for 10 yes 10 cakes! they do look nice but unless its bsthed in chocolate Im not interested. but £25 and we are no where near any poncy area! oh hang on York.....

indith I second the need to know the name of that place and the rough where abouts, I'm ooop north.

Hah! Try living in SW London and then we can talk about overpriced cakes.

www.bigthingsandlittlethings.co.uk/sites/sunshinebakery/index.php<a class="break-all" href="//" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Sunshine Bakery in Leeds

doh! The Sunshine Bakery

Pretty much every second female on my Facebook claims to run a 'cupcake business' with accompanying photo albums of their wares. I don't know where all these cupcake-consuming masses are, I find them fairly resistable TBH. And the whole cutesy/retro/ironic/middle-class aspirational posturing element makes me want to slap them for their unoriginality.

MackerelofFact - what a brilliant name

I love the fact that Norbert saw this shop and remembered the thread last week and avoided it - viral marekting at its best.

The cupcake craze started in the States, but to be fair, they are a nice treat every once in a while. This shop here in my hometown does yummy ones: www.georgetowncupcake.com/

lovecat - if you call them buns I'll buy them for £2.50!!!

My grandma didn't make 'cupcakes' when I was growing up.

Good to know I can avoid entering that shop the way I avoided entering it when it was Endsleigh. I often find myself wandering vacantly round Cheltenham with DD in the buggy wondering where to have a coffee and a cake raw carrot stick. I was bound to stray in that direction one day. Cheltenham's not TOO poncey, but then I'd say that - I live here! I would go elsewhere, but then I'd have to drive and park.

Tewkesbury - now THERE'S poncey!

No, Nailsworth THERE's poncey!

does anyone remember <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=19.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kqwcmizOXc1qzk2upo1_400.jpg&imgrefurl=itsyowyow.com/2009/10/03/blast-from-the-past/&usg=__O84kZdmz28ye5M5uUHwCMmuq0Lk=&h=300&w=400&sz=20&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=IywEzH9GYi07iM:&tbnh=137&tbnw=182&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcupcake%2Bdolls%2B90s%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1345%26bih%3D595%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=171&ei=Hpm0TPueA8OQ4gbSqrGgDQ&oei=Hpm0TPueA8OQ4gbSqrGgDQ&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0&tx=84&ty=86" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">cupcake dolls from the 90's? i had the doll on the far left.

Thanks Indith!

Tewkesbury? Poncey?

Are you sure you're not getting it muddled up with somewhere else?

I say buns too, no ooo sound.

I had one in Costa last week and it was minging, dry and stale.

I would pay 2 quid for a cupcake in a nice coffee shop, but I only get to look at them because I am always on a frickin diet...

come and try my cupcakes.... never had a complaint... but i do only charge £1 per cake...

but im down by hove!!!