AIBU?
To expect school to sell cakes at a reasonable price at the fair?
Clary · 20/03/2007 13:01
Bit of a rant so sorry...
Made some cakes for the school fair. Did choc Easter nests (Nigella) which looked pretty good. Worked out as I made about 18-19 that they had cost £2.50 or so (only a few ingredients but dear, choc mini eggs etc), so figured at 25p each, that's about £4.50 for school, a good return.
Was shocked on entering said fair to see them priced at 5p! Yes, 6 in a packet for 30p! Also (to show I am not precious about my own work ) some lovely iced buns with red noses on, choc crispie cakes also with mini eggs, etc, also all 5p.
Said to the staff member on the stall "Your cakes are a bit cheap aren't they?" Oh yes, she says, that way they well quicker. well duh! The stall was cleared within 3/4 hr. But at that price it's hardly a surprise.
The thing that gets me is, I might as well have just lobbed the school £2.50 as give that money to Mr Sainsbury so the school could raise 95p. Not to mention my time. I don't mind giving up my time, or the ingredients, but if this is what they do then what's the point? Grrrrr. was so angry that I refused to buy any cakes. I love the school, it's fab, but isn't this a bit ridiculous? Or am I all out of proportion and nobody would pay more than 5p for a cake at a school fair anyway????
Twiglett · 20/03/2007 13:04
yes its a constant bug-bear
at fairs we now sell small cakes and biscuits for 30p .. big ones for 50p
big cakes for £5 (as in a whole large cake)
they still sell out and reflect slightly better the effort made
but a cake stall IN SCHOOL for the kids everything is 10p
Katsh · 20/03/2007 13:09
I completely understand your frustation. This is my husband's favourite rant . Why do we slave away for school fairs when they sell things at ridiculous prices. One option is not to make the cakes next time, but just donate the money. The school are better off that way. It all depends on whether you view the fair as a community building exercise to which your cakes have contributed, or whether it's just a money-making venture.
BettySpaghetti · 20/03/2007 13:13
At Dd's school they have an after school cake stall once a term -the individual cakes are priced at 20p each which I think is fair.
I'm not sure what prices the big cakes go for as you can't get close enough to the stall to find out -bit of a rugby scrum where you risk life and limb so i just send DD with the money
Clary · 20/03/2007 13:13
well quite.
The trouble is if no-one donates cakes, just money, then there won't be a cake stall at all (which may well be one thing that draws the crowds...)
Impressed by yr prices Twig, but you are dahn sarth aren't you. My sister's school in London sells chocolate brownies for some astonishing price. (Like £1 a go or something).
But yes, I would very happily pay 20-25p for a cake, at least. Cakes in bakeries here are 40-50p.
PandaG · 20/03/2007 13:23
agree entirely Clary. As chair of the PTA (I managed to look up at the wrong moment in the AGM honest!!) I insist on selling the cakes for a sensible price, 20p a small bun or biscuit, and at least £2.50 for a whole cake - we can always drop the prices if they don't sell!
That said, I usually make a huge amount of small biscuits that sell for 10p each, so if there are any children there without much money they can afford something.
We've got school disco tomorrow night., and instead of asking for buns being sent in, I have sourced choc biscuits and will be selling those at a modest profit.
Blu · 20/03/2007 13:35
DS's school charge 20p for a fairy cake. Maybe more at the summer fair when there is more opportunity for wider pricing to reflect the complexity of the bun.
I make sure I am never organising the pricing - I would let market competition sort the difference between the plump chintzy butterfy cake and the shrunken, sunken singed bun with the thin drizzle of icing....get there first or pay the same for the less fought-over items!
suzycreamcheese · 20/03/2007 20:51
5p omg ..
..nigella cake at 5p...that's a slap in the face..
..actually, i feel fleeced at fairs coffee mornings etc around here..at least a £1 for anything..even looking at a cake!!
..they are defeating the purpose imo..if cake stall attracts people sell it at decent profit otherwise whats the point...
thank the lord of pre school i cannot but cannot make a cake....
Clary · 20/03/2007 22:42
suzy I may not bother next time either!
Thanks for your views ladies, good to see it's not just me. DH says I should complain but I don't want to tarnish the lovely relationship - school and staff are so lovely as a rule.
Maybe next time just take my money and spend it there lol.
sinclair · 22/03/2007 15:20
Clary's sister checking in here to confirm that we sell 4 smallish (6/7cm square) brownies for £2.50 for 4 and they are usually sold out before I get them as far as the stall. I did make them for the primary when DD started there and was shocked to find them selling them for 25p - resolved that if you can't beat them etc and volunteered to run the cake stall at the next fair.
We have a weekly after sch tea and cakes session, and we now sell shop bought for 20p, homemade for 30p and anything with choc in it for 50p. This is in school so I think it is fair. We take around £60 a week so it is a fab fundraiser.
This is in London but don't think M&S has regional pricing does it?
I did Xmas cakes - little ones, around 15x10, with marzipan and icing just on top for the Xmas do. I costed them out as was worried about the cost/effort equation, they worked out at around £2 each so I priced them at a fiver. Yes I thought it was extortionate too but figured it was Xmas and people are flinging their money around, and if they didn't sell I would buy them back and take to neighbours etc. They all sold out to staff and helpers before the fair opened.
Perhaps deliver them with a pricing suggestion Clary?
Tundrawells · 09/08/2022 12:31
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