My jubilee weekend kicked off with a Friday night spent icing a lot of cupcakes, making cake pops and baking cookies ready for Saturday morning: my first taste of selling my baked goods.

I got up bright and early on Saturday and of course was greeted with rain and wind when I looked out of the window. Great. Despite having a slight panic on the inside that I’d end up sat at home that night with a couple of hundred wet, unsold cupcakes to eat, undeterred I packed the cars with the help of my Dad and Sister, made sure  had a hoody and went off in the direction of our local park where I’d got myself a stall at the jubilee festival being held there.

We arrived and set up with about 45 minutes to spare until the festival officially opened and I was not keen on putting my cakes out: we had a spot near the bottom of the park’s slope and were facing in exactly the right direction for the wind to blow the rain into the gazebo and onto the table that the cakes needed to be on. Reluctantly, I put them out a few minutes before the start and resorted to covering everything with cling film in order to keep it dry, not quite the look I was going for but better than being left with soggy cakes. And then we waited and I watched as it continued to rain and the clouds continued to stay put and the feeling that I’d end up sat at home that night with a couple of hundred wet, unsold cupcakes to eat returned.

And then a lovely lady, my first ever customer, came over and brought a box of six cakes and things got better from there. There was a steady trickle of people throughout the morning and our sales technique that involved saying hello to anyone that walked passed and attempting to brighten things up with as smile seemed to be working as one man walked passed us and came back a couple of minutes later to make a purchase, telling us he couldn’t walk past.

As the day went on, the event got busier, the clouds got thinner, I got warmer and the rain disappeared.  I had a steady flow of people, rarely being left without at least one person looking or buying and was even able to uncover the  cakes thanks to the improved weather. Half an hour from the official end of the festival, as the crowds dispersed, we packed up, only 3 cakes left and went home looking forward to a hot chocolate, central heating and some dry clothes.

It was a great experience and definitely something I want to do again in the future, preferably on a warmer day (I genuinely don’t believe it’s June) though I did enjoy the day and learnt a lot. Aside from knowing what sells best for next time, I know a gazebo with sides and layers are a good place to start. It is England after all.

Part Two of my weekend is coming tomorrow and will consist of a trip to London, Royal picnic and concert outside Buckingham Palace.