Icing on the Cake.

"I never thought i was a sweet tooth until I found this little slice of perfection!"
9/10 *********

Situated along the quaint but bustling Jervois Road in Ponsonby is a brilliant retail experience, Icing on the Cake – Bespoke Cakes. It first caught my eye in setup phase as the colour scheme of the shop is both standout and very cool. And no i am not giving everything high scores, it just so happens I am picking great place after great place! The experience appeals to me for a number of reasons.

1. The Product. If one is to setup a retail store the product (and how it aligns with the local market) is highly important. Icing on the Cake brings a very high grade product to the perfect position. Each cake looks like it has had a lot of care and tender concentration in its creation. They are simply picture perfect. It’s not often that they look better in real life than in the promo pictures but trust me… the cakes are cuter in the flesh, they are gorgeous. But this is a great product because it wins you over twice. Once you taste one of these exciting little treasures you realize that they taste even better. Perhaps unknowingly, owner Mathew Metcalfe has also created an impeccable product which gains instant duplicated reach based on one key quality... it is a product that is designed to be shared and gifted.

2. Branding. This is the kind of brand I respect. It is simple, uses great contemporary typography, fantastic colour palette to compliment and enhance the product, and a very simple decorative swirl. Each element has been used with a good level of consistency, simple, enough to cognitively connect with the mind but not over used in the slightest. From the interior to the promotional collateral to the packaging, this brand has been executed with precision as above all the experience still feels homely and humble, the kind of brand I just want to rave about and support. This is the amazing tid bit of info… apparently the owner co-created the branding himself. Mathew Metcalfe - The guy that’s taken the risk to start the business, the guy who designs and makes these captivating cakes, also put together one of my most admired brands this month. Working closely with Arjan van Woensel to develop every facet/touch point of the brand, the outcome is nothing short of stunning. Often I advise owners against being too heavily involved in the aesthetic side of the branding process as it is a mix of many intricate factors and research to get it right. This just goes to show, the right mix of people working together can produce fantastic results... right ingredients, perfect recipe.

3. Service. The service from both the shop assistants and the owner is among the best. Greeted with a smile I was genuinely asked how my day was. They are very well educated on the days product and when they describe the flavours, they literally make them sound so delicious that (bamboozled for choice) you buy a few more than your waistline allows, but why not… these are special. The product is packaged in front of you delicately and by the time you leave you feel like you and your cakes were really well taken care of.

4. Emotional Triggers. The shop has a certain romanticism about it. I could imagine a young Audrey Hepburn with a Scottish terrior on a leash walking by the window, stopping to glance in at the technicolour palette of the products. The shop is downright cool. Great interior design - simple and effective putting the emphasis back on his winning product. It has a small area at the back of the store which is a curved bench with funky stools around a work area with a large flatscreen behind. This is where Mathew can digitally formulate custom designs for weddings etc while the customer watches giving him a very specific brief to then go away and create their bespoke masterpiece. From the second you enter the store the most glorious of aromas hits you. It is a smell of childhood excitement and devine baking. You can smell the yummy sweetness. The music, the interior colour, the location and the overall sense that this is how great retail used to be. All these factors come together to instantly leave a positive stamp on your mind to tell others about.


Self titled as ‘Chef De Cuisine and global traveler’ Mathew Metcalfe has added a landmark destination store to the Jervois landscape of cafe culture. Mathew has also recently been seen on Masterchef NZ whichyou can read more about here.

“Fun, quality and value for money cakes made with care and an awareness of the environment are the core principles of our business. We use local product suppliers whenever we can, and have the highest standards when it comes to the sourcing and quality of every ingredient that goes into our cakes. It is this ethos that makes us so proud of every single one of our cakes.”

He has serviced my theory that when times get tight we like to know that what we do choose to spend our money on is quality. Certain items we can save on but there really is no reason to buy crap cupcakes when Icing on the Cake makes it such a pleasurable experience to have only the best. That said they are not that expensive. A single cupcake packaged beautifully (making a very impressive gift) weighs in at $4.50. Even better… because they are so good they become guilt free! Check it out for yourself: Icing on the Cake, 188 Jervois Road, Herne Bay, Auckland. Tel: 09 360 9797.