Our History
From a simple loaf for every day to the cakes that celebrate friendship and mark milestones - baking has been at the heart and hearth of cultures all over the world for millennia

We have been baking for well over 30 years, yet the transformation of commonplace ingredients into extraordinary creations still feels like an act of alchemy to us. Of course, a baker’s key currency is time, so we are keen to spend ours wisely. 

At our bakery, deep in the English countryside, we daily measure, mix, bake, ice, embellish and pack every single cake entirely by hand. Because, for us, the shortcut has little appeal. Drag right to see our timeline.

Happy Christmas tin

1985

The first fruit cake!

Kishore & Fiona go skiing with friends to Wengen and take 8 mini fruit cakes as Christmas gifts, made at home and baked in baked bean cans!

Fiona image

1986

A business is born

Kishore has the idea to turn this into a business and Fiona Cairns Ltd is born.

Conran shop first order

1987

First order - The Conran Shop

72 mini Christmas cakes, 72 iced gingerbread trees.  All made at the kitchen table

first logo

1988

Cracking London!

Kishore persuades Fiona to go and see Harrods, a regular monthly order is established with delivery every Friday.

The bakery girls are taken to London and for tea at the Ritz – inspiration for many years of baking and a new regular customer!

Through a rock & roll catering company we have made countless cakes over the years for Paul McCartney, Bono and Simply Red.

first bakery image

1989

Kishore has the vision to grow!

Kishore converts their outhouse into a bakery and stocks with 4 Neff ovens.  This allows for weekly orders from Fortnum & Mason, Selfridges & Next.

waitrose and Fiona cairns logos

1993

Waitrose partnership

This very special partnership begins, in a small way – we start supplying 6 celebration cakes to Waitrose stores. The partnership grows tremendously over the years.

Fleckney bakery image

1999

Fleckney & Kishore

The first warehouse in Fleckney is bought and production starts on a big scale! (We have since taken over 6 further units in the estate!)

Kishore sees this as a time to leave his daily commute and job in London to manage Fiona Cairns Ltd full time.

IMG 5769

2005

The Fiona Cairns Fairy Cake!

Kishore cracks the fairy cake, Fiona Cairns Ltd becomes well known for the iconic product. Still being one of the most popular products today.

A second unit is bought to accommodate production and the enormous success of this product continues…

LoF 10inch cake e1547034238889

2007

Let them eat cake!

We truly take Paris by storm – we start supplying Le Bon Marche. This proves a great press story – an English company supplying cakes to the land of the boulangerie!!

Bake Decorate

2010

Bake & Decorate

Fiona’s first book is published. ‘Bake & Decorate’ pioneers the idea of making tea time treats look beautiful through simple yet effective decorating methods.

Available on ckbk
THE CAKE TEAM

2011

The Royal Wedding

In 2011, we were privileged to be asked to create the Royal Wedding cake for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. It was, of course, the ultimate project for us as designers and cake makers.

Read the article
The birthday cake book

2011

The Birthday Cake Book

Fiona’s second book – later to be re-named Celebration Cakes – contains recipes for show-stopping centrepiece cakes. So much fun to create and the cakes are continually enjoyed by many on occasions to celebrate.

Available on ckbk
Queen of cakes Weekend Mail

2011

The Weekend Mail

Fiona begins to write recipes for The Weekend Mail. This is the beginning of a wonderful friendship and together with the Weekend Mail team Fiona has developed many delicious recipes and fabulous seasonal pull-outs.

FionaCairns Jubilee  040

2011

Harrods window - The Queen's Jubilee

By now we truly love celebrating all things Royal, so were thrilled to be involved in the Queen’s Jubilee by making 28,000 cakes under the Heston brand for the Jubilee picnic. We also made the crown cake pictured, which was displayed in Harrods window.

tv OPTION

2012

The Home of Fabulous Cakes

This is Fiona’s first foray into television, presenting a baking series for daytime ITV.

Prince George

2013

Prince George's Christening

The top tiers of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding cake were enjoyed at the Christening of their first son, Prince George.

Rachel award

2013

Prize winners!

The Fiona Cairns NPD team win the Waitrose Product Innovation Award. Rachel Eardley collected the prize for creating the most fantastic ice cream cupcakes.

Seasonal baking cover and seasons SSAW e1538563596332

2013

Seasonal Baking

Seasonal Baking is published, an absolutely beautiful book celebrating baking throughout the seasons. Fiona collaborated with fantastic photographer Dan Jones, who brought the book alive with his beautiful images.  We were especially pleased to be endorsed by Delia Smith!

dior fairycakes e1537870349220

2013

Dior Couture

We were thrilled with the fantastic commission to create fairy cakes for a Dior Couture pop-up shop in Harrods. These limited edition cakes were decorated with a bespoke Dior design and boxed up beautifully.

Cakes for troops

2013

Cakes for troops

One of the more adventurous destinations for our cakes! Sending Christmas cakes out to Afghanistan was well appreciated by the troops of The Royal Irish Regiment!

Fiona and Kishore Wedding cake

2013

V&A

It was an absolute honour to give a talk at the V&A – Fiona and Rachel were asked to speak about the history of wedding cakes. The Royal Wedding cake story has captured the imaginations of many and by now Fiona is spending time travelling the country recounting it.

Here is Kishore and Fiona cutting their wedding cake in 1982!

Charlottes Christening

2015

Princess Charlotte's Christening

Following her brother’s Christening, tiers from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding cake were again enjoyed at Princess Charlotte’s Christening at Sandringham.

The Queens 90th Birthday Celebration Tea at Harrods 1

2016

Queen's 90th Birthday

We collaborated with Harrods, creating the most wonderful afternoon tea to celebrate Her Majesty’s 90th birthday. Royal themed cakes and biscuits were designed and despatched down to London to serve 90 covers a day.

Prince louis christening

2018

Prince Louis's Christening

Following with tradition, we were delighted to create the Christening cake for Prince Louis.

J2440DF 14052

2019

Another Royal Wedding

In May, we felt very honoured to be asked to create the Royal wedding cake for Lady Gabriella Windsor & Thomas Kingston. A wonderful occasion for a beautiful couple!

Royal wedding timeline

2021

10th year Royal Wedding Anniversary

April 29th 2021 marked the 10 year royal wedding anniversary of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. We at Fiona Cairns have so many wonderful memories as we had the huge honour of creating the couple’s wedding cake.

Fiona Cairns Instagram

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