Standing proudly on one of Belgravia’s prettiest streets is the iconic Peggy Porschen cake parlour. Its millennial pink facade curves along Elizabeth street, amongst an array of exclusive boutiques. Adorned in changing seasonal floral displays, Peggy Porschen has become an Instagram cult. Evocative of a Wes Anderson movie, the installations change with the seasons as does the delicious cake selection and it will almost always have a queue outside (and a few fashion bloggers) regardless of the weather.
Peggy initially started her business in 2003, as a bespoke cake company reportedly creating creations for celebrities such as Elton John, Madonna and Kate Moss. She opened her Belgravia parlour in 2010 and in 2019 opened a second parlour in Chelsea. I discovered Peggy about a year after she opened her first parlour and its been a firm favourite ever since. I have celebrated many occasions with Peggy’s cakes, her lemon, raspberry and rose cake is now a family birthday tradition, my niece and I have celebrated many exam results with pink lemonade and red velvet cupcakes on the Belgravia terrace and my little nephew’s trips to London always commence with a walk to get chocolate heaven cupcakes.
“Adorned in changing seasonal floral displays. Peggy Porschen has become an Instagram cult. Evocative of a Wes Anderson movie, the installations change with the seasons as does the delicious cake selection and it will almost always have a queue outside”
Peggy is a trailblazer in many respects both as a businesswoman and as a creative. The aesthetic and design of her brand was not only innovative, in my opinion it started the trend for Instagram-worthy exteriors and cakes. Peggy’s parlour, its installations and her cakes have been an integral part of my Instagram journey. Peggy kindly met me for some coffee and cupcakes to discuss some questions I had for her.
Peggy Porschen is quite a unique proposition, how did the concept for your parlour begin?
Owning my own beautiful café and cake shop was always a childhood dream of mine. Pursuing this ambition brought me to London; one of the most beautiful and inspiring places in the world. I went onto complete Le Cordon Bleu’s ‘The Grand Diploma of Cuisine & Patisserie’ in 1999, and I was lucky enough to hold a number of prestigious Pastry chef positions, which provided invaluable experience.
When I took the leap to start out on my own as a bespoke cake designer, the artistic and handcrafted nature of my service, and ultimately my product, was focused at a niche and high-end audience. While I worked very hard to achieve a reputation as one of the most exclusive cake makers in London, I always felt a longing to be able to share my love of cake with a wider audience.
“Peggy is a trailblazer in many respects both as a businesswoman and as a creative. The aesthetic and design of her brand was not only innovative... it started the trend for Instagram-worthy exteriors and cakes.”
After the recession in 2008 it felt like the time was right for a change in direction. My husband and business partner Bryn, and I, had our eye on Belgravia, Elizabeth Street. We always loved the mix of independent, artisan boutiques and craftsmen alongside the quaint neighbourhood, village-like feel. In our eyes, it was the perfect fit for our first step into the world of retail and hospitality.
The next part is down to fate. In 2009, Grosvenor, our landlord, invited us to participate in their annual ‘Christmas Sunday’. Our stall was opposite our (now) corner location, which had previously been an estate agent. We saw a ‘to let’ sign in the window and my heart just jumped for joy. I instantly knew that it was the one. We put in an offer right away, and following a six month refurbishment, we opened our doors in October 2010.
The concept started off as a takeaway cake parlour with a few tables as well as a private cake consultation room. Belgravia was still fairly unknown as a shopping location at the beginning, and we were delighted to establish such an enthusiastic, local customer base. Fast forward to 2015 and in celebration of The RHS Chelsea Flower show we created our first floral installation at the Belgravia parlour. This was relished by visitors who came to the area during the flower show and soon images started appearing on Instagram.
We had officially ‘taken-off’ and our pretty pink corner of London became a travel destination in its own right, for cake and design lovers from all over the world. Soon after, the Belgravia parlour’s floral facade was chosen as a backdrop for a Qatar Airways advertising campaign about London, then in 2017 our floral pink bicycle installation featured on the front cover of United Airlines’ Hemisphere magazine. Ever since, we’ve been a magnet for travel, lifestyle and food tourism and have become a billboard if you like for quaint, British hospitality in the heart of London.
How has Instagram affected your business?
Instagram went from being a relatively small part of our PR & Marketing strategy to really being the catalyst in our seasonal alignment of our visual installations along with our cake and cupcake collections. The aesthetics of our Parlour could have been born for anyone wanting to enjoy the whimsical, pink and pretty parts of London and I would certainly say that Instagram as an image-led platform, has enabled us to connect and engage with a like-minded audience all over the world. Through Instagram we also have developed links with so many wonderful influencers who we have very supportive relationships with to this day.
I find that the best ideas come from partnering with others. In spring 2017 we collaborated with Jo Loves and created an immersive scent & cake experience. We created a floral cupcake inspired by Jo’s White Rose & Lemon Leaves fragrance. It worked so well for Instagram and our customers as well as the wider media and it made me realise that people want a really special experience and to create memories when going out. Now people visit our parlour from far and wide to spend a few special moments in our beautiful surroundings, whilst enjoying sweet treats to match the beautiful exterior.
“I would certainly say that Instagram as an image-led platform, has enabled us to connect and engage with a like-minded audience all over the world”
It has been through seeing how customers capture and share products and locations through Instagram that I have been able to define my brand and USP even more. I remember very well when I made the bold decision to step away from traditional Christmas colours back in 2016, and instead of a red santa cookie, we created pink ones. I was so worried about breaking with tradition at the time, but I didn’t need to be as people went wild for them. In hindsight I don’t know why it took me so long to embrace a ‘pastel Christmas’ but since I now know the importance of fully embracing who you are, and what you stand for, these gut decisions have allowed our brand to truly connect with so many people
I love that you are a husband-wife team, how do you and Bryn work together?
Bryn and I met at work, and worked as a team before we were a couple. Bryn is an amazing problem solver who keeps his calm when others don’t. He is also a great motivator and driver. When things seem impossible, he is the one who says “really, is it?”, or, “Can we think about this differently?”. He is great at keeping things focused and I would say that he balances my creative mindset. We both have high expectations and know that we can completely rely on each other. We pick each other up when one of us feels low and we always know what the other is thinking. Although the business carries my name, Peggy Porschen is 100% a joint effort and it wouldn’t be where it is today without either of us.
“We pick each other up when one of us feels low and we always know what the other is thinking. Although the business carries my name, Peggy Porschen is 100% a joint effort and it wouldn’t be where it is today without either of us.”
In a competitive market, you always seem to be ahead of the curve. What's next for Peggy?
Thank you, that’s a wonderful compliment to hear as we never rest and work very hard to stay ahead of our game. Of course the current global pandemic and economic crisis has sadly affected lots of businesses and some of our plans may have to be changed, or be put on hold for a little while. Situations like this stress-test your business and any weaknesses become quickly apparent. While our success in the tourism market has helped propel the Belgravia parlour to success, it also makes it very vulnerable at times like these. So right now we are learning and tweaking things to make our business more future proof and resilient. I am actually enjoying the quiet time at the parlour for the moment as it gives us all a little bit more time to chat with the locals and neighbours and reconnect with them, understanding their needs as customers. Having made it through the 2008 crisis we know that being able to adjust and maintain a flexible mindset is crucial to survival and in the long run we will come out wiser and stronger.
I am also very excited to reveal that I have used the lockdown time to work on my next book, which will be themed around the seasons at the Parlours. It will be my 10th book, which is an exciting milestone in itself, and I am very proud that after such a long time in the industry (my first title was published in 2005) I am still able to pass on my knowledge and inspire like-minded people around the world. The book will be released in Spring 2021, so watch this space.
Some people say that your cupcakes are “the best in the world” What has been your favourite collection so far and why?
It’s hard to pick just one, as I have loved so many of our themed collections. However, the one that really sparked an instant social media fever was our ‘La Vie En Rose’ range for Valentine’s 2019. It was such a beautiful yet whimsical collection and the theme gave so much creative inspiration. There was an instantly understood connection to Parisian prettiness and we played this out through artistic creations such as rose buds on cupcakes and playful cookies shaped like perfume bottles and poodles. The collection theme allowed for an inclusive celebration of love, and it really did seem to capture the hearts of so many people. To me, this is the mark of a truly successful campaign, when our work sparks that instant feeling of happiness, and provides a place where customers can simply go and spend some time swept up in the moment.
You can find out more about Peggy Porschen’s cakes by visiting a parlour or at https://www.peggyporschen.com/
Photography courtesy of Peggy Porschen