Based in a home studio in Chester, Boutique Bakery is a multi-award-winning wedding cake studio run by me, Nicola Thomas, providing elegant, creative and delicious designs to couples primarily across the North West and Wales

With a background in art history, I have previously worked in leading London fine art galleries and also for an iconic design store. I have been fortunate to combine this experience with training with some of the cake world’s premier teachers, which has allowed me to refine my skills and define the ‘look’ of a Boutique Bakery creation; clean architectural lines and a limited colour palette combined with the softness and fragility of sugar blooms.

The experience of making my own wedding cake taught me a number of things, the most important of which was that flavour and texture is key. Who wants an amazing looking cake that tastes bland and sticks dry crumbs to the roof of your mouth? I offer an ever-expanding selection of both classic and inventive flavours to ensure that your cake is always going to taste as good as it looks.

So, if you’ve got the excitement of a wedding coming up, please get in touch – I’d love to have a chat, over some cake.

Iscoyd Park is one of my favourite wedding venues – I am a preferred supplier and was also married there myself, so it is always a treat to return there with a cake.  One of the most memorable was Paul and Aisha who, after a covid-enforced delay, finally had their celebration with family and friends in November 2021.  Their vision for the day changed dramatically as the years passed and they had decided that they no longer wanted the cake design we had jointly created.  Instead, they sent me mood boards that they had shared with their florist and left me to create them a surprise cake that they would only see on the day.  The venue décor was beautifully designed by the talented Sass Flower and it was a real relight to see my cake fit in perfectly with the overall theme – and to receive hugely positive feedback from the couple after the event.

I often refer to Old Palace as my local – this incredible historic venue is just a short drive from my home and I am fortunate to be a preferred supplier, returning on a regular basis with a cake. Angie and Geraldine will always be one of my favourite couples, who went through date, venue and design changes, alongside multiple postponements before they had their perfect day. The cake was just a dream brief, with a simple colour palette, floating tier, and a fabulous cascade of sugar flowers

Some of my most memorable designs have been created for weddings at sister venues, Colshaw Hall and Merrydale Manor. One of my favourites was created for Paul and Sam in September 2022.  They had a very modern vision for their cake, with bold marbling in neutrals, a gold hand painted monogram and groups of delicate wafer paper flowers.  It was challenging and really enjoyable to try a new style and I will always love this design for the new techniques it taught me – and for how it looked in the fabulous Colshaw Hall setting.