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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Cakes too cheap at school fair?

253 replies

Clary · 08/07/2011 22:38

It was our school fair this afternoon; I went to help as requested on refreshments, carrying cakes I had made (big chocolate cupcakes topped with chocolate buttercream).

Got there only to see a notice advertising cakes on sale at 20p. Surely that's ridiculous? It wouldn't have covered the cost of the ingredients in the cakes I made. Now I know people donate the cakes, but surely no-one objects to paying 50p a cake at a school fair, do they, even if it's just for a glace-iced bun?

The cost of ingredients has risen hugely in the last couple of years (a dozen eggs is £3 up from £2 a year or two ago, the butter I use is now £1.40 where it was 90p two years ago, etc) and don't PTAs need to bear that in mind? Or AIBU?

(BTW I am on the PTA and will be putting some of this to the chair).

OP posts:
OracleInaCoracle · 09/07/2011 18:15

Oh, and adults don't mind paying extra if they know the single cupcake is going to be nice. They will go into a cafe and buy one happily. At a school fete it children wandering around with pocket money wanting to spread their £2 as far as possible

pinkhebe · 09/07/2011 18:18

It cost me £1 for a cup of tea and a slice of yummy chocolate cake. which is about right for a school fair imo

lurkerspeaks · 09/07/2011 18:23

Lissie
The point of AIBU is that we don't all have to agree.

This is the way I feel about it. These cake sales aren't always for schools they are also for Guides/ Choirs etc. Mostly it isn't about kids with their sweaty 50p pieces (and why would they want an entire boring Victoria sponge cake anyway - they always, in my experience, want some garishly decorated fairy cake!) it is about people my age buying stuff instead of buying as a 'treat'.

So I think we will just have to agree to disagree.

Bunbaker · 09/07/2011 18:28

"A donation is a donation.
I'd never nitpick about the exact cost of ingredients.

PTAs sometimes lose sight of the fact that their events are about fun for the children. Not Advanced Economics Of Baking."

I totally agree. Our school is in South Yorkshire and we couldn't get away with selling little fairy cakes for 50p each. The cakes are mostly bought by the children who get given a couple of pounds to spend at the fair and are hungry after school, so we charge 30p each. I find that anything with chocolate goes well, but the big fancy cupcakes with loads of icing are not popular at all with the children.

I made rocky road this year and it was gone in a flash.

lurkerspeaks · 09/07/2011 18:32

Anyway, I'm not saying they should charge starbucks prices (£2.50 /slice is outrageous IMO ) but that they should charge more realistic prices. Selling an entire cake for only £2 is shortchanging the organisation they are fundraising for drastically.

I love the fact that my colleagues are prepared to pay up realistic prices and resent the fact that the 'cake sale' worthies don't.

In the end though they are only shortchanging themselves and may find themselves with an increasingly naked cake stall as myself and the other bakers stop donating because we resent our hard work being so undervalued.

OracleInaCoracle · 09/07/2011 18:42

Lurker, we really will. Its great that your colleagues will pay more, but presumably that's what they would be prepared to pay for a snack anyway. Totally different to a fete or similar.

I really think that the people who are bothered should either run the stall themselves or stop donating. There are plenty of people who don't care how much their cakes sell for as long as people enjoy them.

Bunbaker · 09/07/2011 18:44

"There are plenty of people who don't care how much their cakes sell for as long as people enjoy them."

One of them being me. I take great pleasure seeing someone buying one of my cakes and telling me how tasty it is. I don't make them to make a profit, but to help a good cause.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 09/07/2011 18:55

I don't buy cakes in coffee shops etc because they are usually inferior as
well as expensive but would expect them to cost more than at a school fair because they have overheads that a fair doesn't.

I can quite see the point of people who say they would rather make a cash donation once a year than donate goods, help fundraise, buy back the goods etc, but I think that a lot of people give that option would just not bother making the donation. I also think fundraisers are good because it teaches the children that momey can be raised for good causes by effort rather than by parents just reaching for the chequebook. Also the children enjoy the events and it gets people into the school and more involved, which can only be a good thing.

OracleInaCoracle · 09/07/2011 19:15

Maybe those who feel that their goods are being underpriced could sell them independently and donate the cash made instead? I'm aware that this sounds a bit snippy and that isn't my intention, on phone and bad jointsa today so apologies if my points are a bit fuzzym

MiserableLes · 09/07/2011 20:01

£3 for a doz eggs. Are they Faberge?

NearlyHeadlessNigel · 09/07/2011 20:42

£3 is about the going rate MiserableLes

Bunbaker · 09/07/2011 20:44

"£3 for a doz eggs. Are they Faberge?"

Large free range eggs are £1.51 for a box of 6 in Morrisons. I know because I bought some today. In Tesco they are £1.68 for 6, so that price sounds about right.

I don't usually buy supermarket eggs but didn't have time to go to the farm shop where I usually buy them (at 95p for 6).

I won't buy battery eggs. It is free range or nothing. Also, I always buy large because Queen Delia always specifies large eggs for baking.

JoleneJoleneJoleneJoleeene · 09/07/2011 20:57

Rotten timing, this is Mumsnet. Women, or "ladies" ,if you prefer, swear here. You were fucking patronizing and it pissed me off.

MiserableLes · 09/07/2011 21:01

£3 a doz. You are being robbed. We get free range from a farmer and they are £2.50

moomaa · 09/07/2011 21:09

I thought our preschool had a great idea with their cake stall, they sent plates home to fill then they split all the donations between all the plates so you bought a mixed plate for £1. (They cut the big cakes and put the slices on the plates.)

It meant noone's was left to last, you got to try a variety of things and pricing was easy. They did the extra posh cup cakes seperately for 50p and some teeny tiny ones for 10p.

balancingfigure · 09/07/2011 21:11

I'm not sure it really matters how much the ingredients cost - that was your choice BUT 20p is definitely too cheap if the fayre is supposed to raise money!

UniS · 09/07/2011 21:13

school fund-raiser last week had a cake stall- sort of... Year X had baked fairy cakes , kids paid a modest sum (75p) to ice and decorate 2 cakes and take them away. 3 bowls of icing in different colours, 4 bowls of sprinkles and sweets. = very happy children. Bat the rat was 10p a go to win a sweetie, hook a duck 20p for 2 goes to win a lollypop, guess the number of spiders 50p a go to win a box of chocs etc. Year X ran all the games, those that were over priced didn't get much custom.

yearningforthesun · 09/07/2011 21:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

wildspinning · 09/07/2011 21:18

Our playgroup sale: 50p per cake: lots left over

Our school sale: 20p per cake: every single one sold (there were loads)

20p is a great price for a little fairy cake. People will buy 2 or 3 instead of just one. The cakes go and the school makes money Smile

OracleInaCoracle · 09/07/2011 21:19

I'm not sure it really matters how much the ingredients cost - that was your choice BUT 20p is definitely too cheap if the fayre is supposed to raise money!

really? but every penny is profit for the school. it is 20p per cake more than they would have had!

400 buns sold at 20p is £80. add in whole cakes at £2 a go and thats money raised that wouldnt have been otherwise. and all at a price that means kids can buy their own.
think its not enough or too cheap? donate yourself!

StealthPolarBear · 09/07/2011 21:24

if someone donated a vase worth thousands and you sold it for £1 would you think ah well that's £1 for the school funds?

yearningforthesun · 09/07/2011 21:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

StealthPolarBear · 09/07/2011 21:25

"20p is a great price for a little fairy cake. People will buy 2 or 3 instead of just one. The cakes go and the school makes money "
But if they cost 50p each to make and people buy 3 that's 90p straight to the supermarkets, not the school

Bunbaker · 09/07/2011 21:28

"But if they cost 50p each to make and people buy 3 that's 90p straight to the supermarkets, not the school"

The person who baked the cake will have paid for the cost of the ingredients, not the school, so if the cakes are sold for 30p each x 3 the school makes 90p profit.

StealthPolarBear · 09/07/2011 21:31

No! Because it's not "money made from cakes" vs zero, it's "money made from cakes vs money that could have been made, or even cost of raw ingredients.

The 90p was assuming a selling price of 20p.

What do you think about the vase example. Ah well, there's £1 for the PTA