Sugarcoat Cookies

13/10/2022

After much deliberation, number crunching and many reality checks it’s finally time to break the silence.
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Its with a very heavy heart I have decided to close my business. I have a few jobs pending over the Christmas period, of which I will happily be completing, however come January 2023 Sugarcoat Cookies will be no more.
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Just as motherhood got easier and I was able to find more time, the cost of living has hit us all and as a result Sugarcoat Cookies is no longer a viable business.
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I have worked so hard since starting and with so much love and support from you all the business was going from strength to strength. I built a lovely cookie community around Sugarcoat Cookies, making it so much more than just a business. I can’t thank you all enough.
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You never know I may return, but for now it’s time to hang the apron up.
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Nicola x

23/05/2022

Let’s talk markets (long post)
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I love market days, the social aspects, the makers community, the buzz of bustling market. So many positive however there’s also a down side to markets when providing fresh stock.
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The sleepless nights as you freshly bake each and every item the prior to the date, the unorganised labelling of the last minute bakes, the lack of eating as you take over the main kitchen, the stress of how much to make and then the biggest of all…the food waste when a market doesn’t go as planned. On top of all this the rest of the business takes a backseat and gets neglected (admin, socials, emails etc)
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This weekend I attended my quietest market to date. I ended up bringing 90% of my stock back home, I managed to sell some at a discounted rate, However over 50% of the fresh bakes have had to be discarded due to lack of sales.
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Markets aren’t always rosey, you sign up to them knowing the risk that it may be quiet. A quiet day could be a result of many different factors, it really is pot luck!
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I’ve had a fantastic run of positive markets, and I’ve throughly enjoyed myself, making new maker friends, meeting my loyal customers, being part of a market community and getting my name out there are just a few of the perks.
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However I’ve decided after this weekend I’ll be taking the summer off the market life. I’ll be taking time to spend the weekends with my crazy family, concentrating on the neglected areas of my business and planning and expanding as I head into my 4th year of Sugarcoat.
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As always watch this space as you (and I) never know what is coming 😂
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Nicola 🍪

20/04/2022

I can't believe how busy I have been these past few months.  
 
So incredibly busy I haven't had time to take photos let alone upload fresh content 😅  
 
I have the most insane last minute opportunity coming this weekend and then hopefully 🤞🏾 Life will settle down and business can resume as normal.  
 
Who's ready for customs to restart??🥳 
 

06/04/2022

✨important information above✨ 
 

25/03/2022

17/03/2022

𝕄𝕖𝕖𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕄𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕣  
𝔻𝕒𝕪 𝟠: 𝔹𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝔻𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟  
 
Alright I know I'm many days out but let's just roll with it!  
 
Todays prompt is best decision and I think it's fair to say the best decision I made was to turn Sugarcoat Cookies into a business.  
 
Ultimately I'm quite shy, so to put myself and my work out there is always an anxious filled time, esp when introducing new things, but believing in my products certainly helps to ease this. 
 
I could have easily kept it all hush and just baked for fun but seeing just how many of you also love my products, and my designs, shows me that getting my name out there was the best decision.  
 

11/03/2022

𝕄𝕖𝕖𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕄𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕣  
𝔻𝕒𝕪 𝟝: 𝔽𝕒𝕧𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖  
 
 Todays prompt is favourite, with so many favourite things to pick I'm going to pick my favourite thing about decorating cookies....  
  
🌟 Getting my icing consistency spot on resulting in perfect flawless cookies.  
 
It doesn't happen half as much as it should, the downside of working with vegan royal icing I suppose BUT when it does, wowza, what a game changer to my cookieing mood 😂🤩 Everything is so much better when I get my icing right lol.   
 

09/03/2022

𝕄𝕖𝕖𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕄𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕣  
𝔻𝕒𝕪 𝟜: 𝟛 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤   
  
Todays prompt is 3 things, now this could be 3 things about anything so I've decided to go with 3 things I want to achieve this year   
  
🌟 To make my business my main source of income   
🌟 my fitness levels to increase 😅   
And finally...   
🌟 to break past 1k followers because I seem to be stuck just below 😂   
  
What's your 3 things you'd like to achieve this year??   
  

06/03/2022

𝕄𝕖𝕖𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕣   
𝔻𝕒𝕪 𝟛: ℙ𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘   
  
Now I know what your thinking, surely I can't plan because I'm always so last minute Lil, but I do.I swear I actually plan hard!  
 
What a lot of people don't know is that cookies can take anywhere from 1-3days to create, 2 days to dry and 1 day to photograph, package and get ready for leaving base. For seasonal cookies I'm always one holiday ahead. I have to plan the themed, the cookie cutters, the sprinkles, the packaging. I even have to plan what colour ribbon I'll be using months in advance. Whilst we're currently approaching Mother's Day, I'm already planning Fathers Day.  
If I don't plan, you don't get you're cookies.  
If I don't plan, I don't know what day of the week it is either 😂 
 
I'm a list maker, I even have lists for list. I'm just one of those folk.  
 
When planning cookies I always work backwards from the date of collection/postals and my Calendar, diary, whiteboard and paper lists all look like this: 
-collection 
-package 
-dry 
-dry 
-decorate 
-decorate 
-roll/cut/bake 
-dough 
 
It's probably not the most solid planning procedure but it works for me. I dread to think how many lists and scribbles I'd have floating around if I went wholesale 😅😂  
  
   

05/03/2022

𝕄𝕖𝕖𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕣  
𝔻𝕒𝕪 𝟚: 𝔹𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕍𝕒𝕝𝕦𝕖𝕤  
 
I've never written down my brand value before so to try put pen to paper and dissect why I do what I do is tricky but here are some of my main values.  
 
🌟 Quailty: I only create and sell items which I would be happy to receive, if it's not good enough for me then it's not good enough for you!  
 
🌟Hard work: Always work hard, always push and never stop learning, progressing and striving for more.  
 
🌟Joy: Make sure that each cookie has the ability to brighten somebodies day.  
 
🌟Keep it real, Keep it kind: Sugarcoat Cookies is 100% vegan and even though I may struggle to source ingredients or keep up with the latest trends due to this, I will always remain a fully Vegan business.  
 
🌟 Passion: I love baking and I love creating, I'd like to think this shines through in each bake.  
 
 

03/03/2022

𝕄𝕖𝕖𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕣  
𝔻𝕒𝕪 𝟙: 𝕄𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕞𝕪 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕜 
 
This year I'm finally taking part in Meet the maker challenge. Now I know what your thinking, I'm already 3 days late but I will catch up at some point! So here goes....  
 
This is me, Nicola, the one man band behind Sugarcoat Cookies👋🏾 (And Quinn because once you become mum apparently you never have a picture taken alone ever again)  
 
When I'm not playing mum you'll find me in the kitchen keeping up with orders, sampling new flavours/ideas or in the office doing admin, making cookie cutters or generally making a (creative) mess!  
 
Sugarcoat Cookies was born back in 2018, 16mnths after turning vegan and finding a serious lack of sugary baked goods in the area. Having never baked vegan I set myself to it, 4months later I made my first sale and the rest they say is history 🤩 I never intended to start a business, I simply wanted biscuits but I wouldn't change the path of which Sugarcoat Cookies has taken and the path of which it's about to take.  
 
Without you lot I'd prob be taking one too many trips to the dentist, so thank you for sharing the cookie love. Without you all none of this would be possible.  
 
 

02/03/2022

I think you’re Tea-riffic ☕️