Full terms & conditions for Lesley Marshall – cake art is detailed below. By placing an order, either through my Website, over the telephone, or by any other medium it will be deemed that the terms are understood and accepted as applying to your order.

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Payment Terms

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Payment must be made in advance before any goods are prepared or dispatched. In some circumstances I may require a non-refundable deposit before accepting an order.

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Cakes by Post - Delivery Options

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Delivery date will be arranged at the time of order and will be posted first class post or courier. A signature will be required on delivery. Saturday delivery can be requested at an increased cost.

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I use a reliable, guaranteed, 24-hour delivery service to ensure your cake(s) arrives on time. For this reason, delivery on a Monday is not possible. Once your cake(s) is in the hands of the carrier I have no control over the delivery process, so I recommend you choose a delivery date at least one day early to avoid disappointment.

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Working days are Monday to Friday excluding Public Holidays in England.

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I will be able to track the progress of your delivery. Please contact me immediately if your cake(s) does not arrive within the time frames described above. I will do everything possible to ensure your cake arrives on time but cannot accept liability for any late deliveries.

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If delivery is attempted and the carrier is unable to leave the cake(s) (for example because nobody is available to take receipt) then the responsibility is with the customer to arrange re-delivery or collection and I cannot accept liability for late delivery.

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In the unlikely event that your cake(s) is lost during transit, you must notify me within 48 hours of expected delivery. Compensation may be available, up to a maximum of the price paid by the customer, if the cake(s) cannot be traced and is confirmed as lost by the carriers.

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Your cake(s) will be very carefully packaged so that it arrives in perfect condition. In the unlikely event that the cake(s) appears to have been damaged during transit, you must notify me within 24 hours of receipt. Any replacement products, refunds or compensation will be considered, and may be granted at my discretion and only in the event that the cake is damaged beyond reasonable use. I will require evidence of any damage, which must be received by me within 7 days of the original delivery. This evidence may be in the form of photographs, or by returning the goods to me and must include the original packaging.

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Cancelling an Order

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My cakes and other food products are made to order and personalised to your specifications, orders therefore cannot be cancelled once the cake has been made. However, should you wish to change your order at any time please contact me immediately and I will do my best to meet your needs.

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Corporate Orders

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If you are placing an order through a company I may agree to credit terms, subject to receipt of your Purchase Order. A 50% deposit will be payable on acceptance of your order. Full payment must be made within 30 days of invoice date with no exceptions. Please contact me to make arrangements.

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General Terms

Please note pictures are for general illustration only and the product may vary from that shown.

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Wedding cakes & Celebration cakes

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Payment Conditions

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Lead Times

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Booking is advisable as early as possible to ensure your date is secured, particularly during summer season. My sponge cakes need to be baked fresh for the event, so I am restricted by the amount of cakes I can make each week.

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From a technicality perspective I ask for a minimum of 3 months’ notice when ordering Wedding cakes, and 3 Weeks for other celebration cakes.

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Prices

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All prices are non-negotiable and priced according to your exact design and size of your cake; if you require me to work to a specific budget then I will adjust the design accordingly where possible.

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Following your consultation / enquiry, your quote is valid for 2 months, paying your deposit (see below) secures this price & prevents any further price increases, except in exceptional circumstances beyond my control eg. Exceptional fuel price increases, flower price increase, etc.

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Flowers

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If your cake requires fresh flowers, then these are not included in the price unless specifically stated. I can work with your florist to provide flowers that coordinate with your event (for which an arrangement charge is required to cover the time), however I strongly recommended that flowers for your cake are sourced through ourselves, as I cannot accept responsibility for issues that arise with another florists’ flowers eg. colour not coordinating with the icing colour. If you still choose to not source flowers through me, then it is your responsibility to inform the florist that their bill for the cake flowers should be settled directly with yourselves (as it is not included in my price). If sub-standard flowers are provided by your florist, I reserve the right to refuse to use them.

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Deposits

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For wedding cakes a non-refundable £100 deposit is payable to Lesley Marshall.

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Cake Consultations (wedding cakes only)

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Postal cake sample boxes are available at a charge of £30 to include P&P for 6 cake samples and a consultation will be arranged via Facetime/Skype or other means.

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Payment

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Please contact me regarding payment options.

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Final payment for your Wedding cake is required no later than 4 Weeks before the collection/delivery. It is your responsibility to remember to send this payment as a reminder invoice is not issued.

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Late Payments

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If your deposit is not paid within 2 months of quoting, then I reserve the right to cancel any previous arrangements.

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If full payment is not received and cleared in my account before the event, then the order will not be released.

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Cancellation

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If cancellation of the event takes place I reserve the right to retain your deposit. If cancellation takes place 4 Weeks before the event then I reserve the right to keep 75% of the total price, or if cancellation occurs 7 days prior then 100% of the value with be retained to cover the costs of production of the cake.

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Cancellation must be made in writing (by letter or email) to Lesley Marshall – cake art and will only be deemed to take effect from the date your letter/email is received at my premises.

 

If you postpone the event I will endeavor to transfer your order providing the date is suitable for ourselves, otherwise it shall be treated as a cancellation (see above).

 

I retain the right to cancel the booking in very unusual circumstances beyond my control, such as fire or ill health, during which I will refund any money taken in full.

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Design Conditions

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Alterations & Changes

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It is your responsibility to read & check the quote thoroughly; any amendments should be made in writing.

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If requested, I will endeavor to adjust the design where possible, but sometimes this is not possible according to the nature of the request or amount of notice given. If the alteration affects the cost, or preparation work for the original design has already been undertaken, then your balance will be adjusted accordingly. Please warn me when you pay your deposit if you are undecided on the design.

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I reserve the right to change the design at any point if circumstances beyond my control, may compromise the quality of the finished cake. eg. melting due to weather.

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Each cake is made individually by hand, so although every effort is made to ensure consistency, a small amount of variation may occur form the picture supplied.

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Chocolate, Naked, Semi-naked & buttercream cakes

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I recommend extreme caution if you are considering a cake decorated with chocolate or buttercream for a summer Wedding (May-September).

I cannot accept responsibility for any melting of the cake once it has left my possession, as I have no control over the environmental / venue temperature. I can however advise you of designs that are less susceptible to melting and do everything within my control to reduce the impact on the cake.

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Cutting Cake

If you have chosen a cutting cake you will have be charged a significantly lower cost than if the equivalent was provided as part of your tiered Wedding cake. This reduced rate is possible because your cutting cake will not be decorated like your Wedding cake.

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Home Baked Fruit Cakes

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I understand the sentimental significance of having a family member bake your fruit cake, which you may request for me to ice and decorate.

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I am happy to do this for fruit cakes (but not sponge cakes) however I must ask that the cakes conform to my guidelines so that you can achieve an appropriate finished look and are not disappointed with the end result. Unless otherwise required for the design, each cake should be at least 3” deep. Please enquire for further advise before baking the cake.

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Allergies & Special Dietary Requirements - Special Diets

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Please discuss with me if any of your guests have special dietary requirements. Cakes can be made gluten free / egg free / alcohol free / without nuts by request. Please be aware that although these ingredients can be removed from the cakes, they are still used in my kitchen, so I cannot guarantee that any of my cakes are completely free of all traces for people are highly sensitive.

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Non-Edible Items

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Most cakes contain small proportions of inedible items, it is the client’s responsibility to ensure these are removed by your caterer/guests before consumption eg. Support rods in tiered cakes, ribbon, wires in sugar flowers, Swarovski crystals, beads, flower picks & flower tape (where fresh

flowers are used).

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Some flowers (eg. Ivy) are poisonous and not suitable for use on food products, you should notify your flower supplier of your intention to use the flowers on food to ensure that non-poisonous flowers are used.

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Delivery Conditions

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Delivery charge is calculated on a mileage and time basis. Alternatively, cakes can be collected from my premises.

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If you choose delivery, it is my intention that your cake will be delivered in perfect condition prior to the start of your reception.

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However, I ask for patience with factors that may be beyond my control (eg traffic conditions) as I cannot be held liable for any such delays. In some circumstances, I may recommend the cake is delivered 1 day in advance. It is your responsibility to ensure you inform me of your correct

ceremony & reception time and the postcode of the venue. In the unlikely event of late delivery, the maximum compensation will be a refund of the delivery price.

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I cannot be held liable for any damage that is rendered to the cake at the venue once I have left the premises. If you chose to collect the cake, I will not be held liable for any damage to the cake once it has left my premises. Tiered cakes are most at risk during transport, so please seek my advice on how to transport it, and I highly recommend you check your Wedding insurance covers cake damage. To ensure your cake is as fresh as possible, I recommend it is collected the day before the Wedding.

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Late requests for delivery (after securing the booking based on collection) will be accommodated where possible, but cannot be guaranteed, as earlier delivery commitments must take priority.

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Fresh Flowers

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I highly recommend that arrangement of flowers on my cakes is done by me, as I cannot take responsibility for any damage rendered to the cake caused by a floral arrangement that was implemented by your florist.

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If fresh flowers are used, the cake will be set-up as late as feasibly possible to ensure their freshness throughout the day but depending on the varieties used & the weather conditions at the time, it may be necessary to cut the cake relatively early on in the proceedings to ensure their freshness for the photography.

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Cake Stand

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It is the clients’ responsibility to ensure arrangements are made for the cake table, linen, cake stand & knife, which should all be setup prior to my arrival. If any delay is incurred due to these not being set-up, I reserve the right to charge for any delay incurred (labour costs at £20 per hour, pIus any compensation required to pay to other brides who’s Wedding cake delivery has been delayed as a result) or leave the cake with the event manager to assemble / move into position as appropriate.

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I can provide cake stands for hire for a small fee, along with a refundable deposit. I require the cake stand to be returned to me within 2 Weeks after the event.

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Please take extra care to ensure a stable cake table if you are having a marquee Wedding, as surrounding floor boards can easily rock the cake once stood on.

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Storage & Consumption

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Damage

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Please remember that cake decorations are very delicate items, and I cannot accept responsibility for damage that is done to the cake after it has left my possession. This includes any decoration implemented by your florist, it is for this reason that I highly recommend you source cake flowers through me.

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If any damage is rendered to the cake after it has left my possession, then you can advise I and request a repair, which will be costed accordingly, including transport costs if appropriate.

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Cake Cutting

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For your photo, please cut the base tier of your cake, unless it is a dummy cake, in which case you should cut the tier above. If using a pedestal cake stand, please take care not to put undue pressure on one side of the cake, to ensure it remains stable.

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My portion guides are intended as a guide only (based upon 1”x1” slices or 2”x1” slices) and will vary according to how the individual chef / venue cuts the cake.

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Best Before Date

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Your cake is baked to ensure it is fresh for the date of your event. After this date, I advise sponge cakes are frozen asap to ensure its condition is retained, otherwise, I cannot guarantee its quality if it’s consumed more than 48 hours after the event. My cakes are made entirely of natural ingredients, so I’d like to remind you that because of this they will not have the extended shelf life of most supermarket cakes, which contain additives & preservatives to ensure their prolonged life. Freezing the cake however, preserves the taste of the sponge & icing as much as feasibly possible, but please bear in mind that it will affect the visual appearance of the icing, as condensation will form upon defrosting.

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Food hygiene recommendations recommend that food should only be frozen for a maximum of 3 months.

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Storage Conditions

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If you plan to keep any of the cakes tiers, please advise I what cake boxes you would like to be left on site (so that you can safely transport them the following day). Otherwise I shall remove all cake boxes from the venue to ensure I leave it as tidy as possible.

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Once home, the cake should be wrapped in cling foil to remove as much air as possible, then stored in an air tight container before freezing for a maximum of 3 months. The cake should not be refrozen if defrosted, therefore it may be appropriate for you to cut it into convenient portion sizes before freezing, so that it can be defrosted on a per portion basis.

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Sugar paste cakes should not be refrigerated, as it will cause condensation to form on the surface of the icing. Refrigeration also accelerates the staling of the flour in the cake, so should only be used with extreme caution e.g. If hot weather is compromising the quality of a chocolate decorated cake.

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Miniature Cake Boxes

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I advise you inform your venue in advance if you have miniature cakes that require boxing, so that they have time to prepare & allocate staff. Your boxes will be assembled & prepared beforehand, so all they need to do is slip the cakes in and tie the ribbon, which should be equivalent to the time it takes to cut the cake.

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Photographs

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I reserve the right to use any photographs for my own reference, display or promotional advertisement without compensation to you.

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Hire of Cake Stands /Accessories

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If you would like to hire a cake stand or decorations, then it is your responsibility to ensure a deposit is provided (as a separate cheque), otherwise it shall be presumed that you do not require it and the item will not be left at your reception. The standard deposit for cake stands is a £40 cheque.

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Please make arrangements to ensure the stand is safely returned within 2 Weeks after the Wedding. If you are unable to return it personally & choose to post the stand, it is your responsibility to ensure it is appropriately packaged to prevent damage during postage; I recommend plenty of bubble wrap, securely taped around a cake stand, and a sturdy box to prevent against drops and knocks during transport.

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If the cake stand is left at the venue for the event manager to return or I to collect, then your deposit will be kept to pay for this purchase.

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Please bear in mind that this is a complimentary service provided only to Lesley Marshall – cake art customers, I only charge a small fee for the hire, and would appreciate your cooperation to return the items clean & in the condition that you would expect to see them on your own Wedding cake, so that they are available for the next brides Wedding. If I have left the cake stand box at the venue then I would expect the stand to be returned in the box provided.

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Complaints

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If you have concerns about my cakes, please notify I upon delivery / inspection so that I have the opportunity to rectify it in time for my event. I highly recommend a member of the family / event manager as the designated point for the day, to help ensure all runs smoothly.

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All other concerns should be made in writing, and evidence of the fault should be included. A refund is only given if the uneaten cakes are returned and are unsuitable for consumption / not as described in the written quote. No refunds are given due to change of mind.

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In the unlikely event of late delivery (defined as delivery after the start of the wedding breakfast), the maximum compensation will be a refund of the delivery price. I ask for patience with factors that may be beyond my control (eg traffic conditions) as I cannot be held liable for any such delays.

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Assuring you of my best attention at all times.

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Lesley x