Nestled amid a carefully curated Instagram grid of delectable treats were Claire Ptak’s “bittersweet” photos of her California-style bakery in Dalston, Violet Cakes.
The baker, who was responsible for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex‘s lemon and elderflower wedding cake in 2018, announced a furniture sale with items that hold “an incredible history.”
Next to a carousel of pictures of vintage chairs and tables selling for between £100 and £400, she wrote: “Furniture sale!!! Our beloved, vintage zinc and powder-coated steel garden bistro furniture is for sale! Priced to go fast!
“We are about to receive all new furniture as part of a new partnership. We are so excited, but it’s bittersweet to say goodbye to these tables and chairs that hold an incredible history from our 14 years here at Violet.
“Books have been written, film scripts edited, paintings painted, wedding proposals made and accepted, businesses conceived and more creative ideas of all kinds formed. Continue the tradition. Great for your new bakery or for your home.”
Some of her followers seemed saddened to hear about the change, with one writing: “You should keep the chairs in the first photo. They’re like a modern art painting,” and another adding: “Oh I’ll miss all this nice old stuff! Excited to see the new look.”
Meanwhile, another complimented to new decor. “The new look is good (red). We were there yesterday. Food & ambience is wonderful,” they commented.
Claire shot to fame in 2018 when she created Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s unconventional wedding cake.
Instead of traditional fruit cake encased in royal icing, the couple chose a trendy lemon and elderflower sponge topped with Swiss meringue buttercream and displayed as four separate cakes on different stands.
As well as using 200 Amalfi lemons and 500 organic eggs from Suffolk, the couple paid homage to Harry’s royal roots as the 10 bottles of elderflower syrup came from the late Queen’s Sandringham estate.
Claire previously opened up about her brief from the royals, describing Meghan as a “cool” and laid-back bride. She told Tatler that Meghan gave her creative freedom when it came to the cake.
“Meghan, she specifically said to me, ‘I don’t want to tell you what to do… the reason why I’ve chosen you is because I love your baking and your work and your point of view and your ethos,'” said Claire, who former Suits actress Meghan had interviewed for her defunct lifestyle blog, The Tig.
She added: “And I was like, ‘Oh my god, that’s so cool. The best job brief ever!'”
However, the author was not prepared for the media interest after it was announced that she had an important role in the royal wedding.
Discussing the “wild” response, she said: “They sort of told me, ‘Look, this is going to be a big deal. Make sure you’re ready. When we announce this, you’re going to get a lot of interest’… I just thought it’d be fine. And I was really wrong,” she said, stating that Violet became “so crazy busy.”
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