Anti-Valentine’s cakes provide solace to Hackney’s lonely singletons
RIP Love and Forever Yours, by Cakey Muto. Photograph: Tim.Sullivan@hackneycitizen.co.uk
If you love yourself and no one else, have a broken heart or an annoying ex – or simply don’t like the commercialism around Valentine’s Day – a recently opened Clapton cafe and bakery could help you make the most of a day some would rather avoid.
Cakey Muto, which opened on Chatsworth Road in the autumn, is taking a darkly humorous approach to the ‘day for lovers’. As well as yummy baked items and sweets for happy couples, the cafe is offering Anti-Valentine’s Day cakes. One says “RIP Love”, while another proclaims “I love myself”. Or why not get the “Voodoo your ex” gingerbread figure?
But it’s not all twisted cynicism. Cakey Muto also has a range of birthday cakes, baby shower cakes, cupcakes, pies, scones in all flavours, monmouth coffee and vegan and gluten-free alternatives.
The colourful spot invites customers to relax in pink plastic chairs, eat delicious cakes, listen to their own CD mix on the jukebox, and enjoy either wine or coffee.
Octavia Landy and her partner Thogdin Ripley, run the place together, along with a team of bakers.
Octavia’s dream customer would be Keith Richards.
“I’d laugh hysterically and drop the cake,” she says.
The former TV producer had her eye on the empty Chatsworth Road location for over a year before she eventually turned it into Cakey Muto.
“I’ve always loved baking,” she says. “Cakey Muto is my baby.”
The shop’s name was suggested at a friend’s wedding in Tokyo when a cake cutter screamed what sounded to Octavia like “Cakey Muto”. It was in fact a misheard cry of “cut the cake” in Japanese.
But will you average Hackney eccentric, non-white and working class actually be able to afford one?
What about these anti-Valentine’s Day cards to go with the cake? Or are we all just cynical?
http://www.studentbeans.com/student-money/a/get-your-free-anti-valentines-day-cards2315.html
get back under your stone
Great place, highly recommended – but take my advice and do NOT order a milkshake at this joint. You are in for an unpleasant surprise.
…(not aimed at you Olivia)
Lonely singletons? A nightmare if you’re unattached? What if you’re indifferent about Valentine’s and your relationship status? You make being single sound like a death sentence. Cheer up a bit – or get yourself one of these cakes, looks like you need one.
I’m the owner. Eric, thanks so much for the milkshake comment, we’ve changed them!!! Antitwat, check your facts first as we have a wide range of customers from all walks of life, so don’t make assumptions.
some people just dont get how business works.
someone makes something, they may help people to actually help them make it, then they sell it at a price that covers costs and makes a profit. If they sell enough the business thrives – they dont have to sell to everyone.
in antitwats world, the govt makes the cake maker make a cake has all the good stuff taken out until everyone can afford it and as it is now made of sawdust and paste, noone actually wants it.
So the govt then subsidises the cake maker to keep the help employed and as a result has to tax a small proportion of customers twice the cost of the cake, because it is only fair that everyone gets a cake but that tax is only levied on ability to pay.
End result, twice as many cakes are made than before, noone wants them, but are forced to pay for them anyway meaning that people cant afford the things they actually do want, shrinking the market for those other things and destorying the likelihood of those who make those other things and putting the people employed making those things out of work….unless the govt forces people to make those things as well.
Del
Antitwat is a troll whose views are at least as right wing and selfishly vicious as yours
he is being sarcastic and has nothing better to do than post sub sixth form attempts at humour on this site whereas you are just being Ayn Rand’s broken teapot
Nimrod
Ayn Rand didnt even write well, and god knows if she drank tea. But we can all be glad that you know a nimrod when you see one.
And if you dont believe the simplistic little parable above – have a look at social housing in hackney.