CUSTOMERS have expressed sadness after the owner of a much-loved cake shop in Malmesbury announced its closure.
The Cake Tin has been a prominent feature of Malmesbury's High Street for the last four years and has provided hundreds of residents with show stopping cakes and tasty treats.
However, the shop has been holding a closing down sale of its most popular bakes over the last week and will shut for good on Saturday.
Owner Victoria Parry opened The Cake Tin in December 2019 but said rocketing bills and running costs have made the business unviable.
She told the Standard that overhead costs are three times bigger than what she had originally planned for.
Many customers have turned to social media to express their sadness.
Commenting on the Cake Tin’s closure announcement on Facebook, one resident said: "So very sad to read this news.
"A great loss to Malmesbury High Street.
"Wishing you and all your staff every success in whatever the future holds."
Another customer added: "Your bake off inspired my daughters to bake during lockdown.
"I hope you continue to bake and decorate cakes."
Victoria's passion for baking was ignited when she decided to get better at baking cakes for her New Year's resolution in 2018.
At the end of the year, she applied for spot on Channel 4's Kirstie’s Homemade Christmas and won the Christmas cake competition.
She was working at Lloyds Bank as a product manager at the time but decided to take a voluntary redundancy to pursue baking full time.
Her cake shop is known for its creative window displays and its cosy vintage feel.
She said her customers were shocked about the closure announcement because from the outside it looks like a thriving business.
Meanwhile, other independent shop owners who understood the tough climate weren't as surprised.
Victoria said: "The closure announcement has gone down really badly.
"I have decided close the shop because the cost of everything has gone through the roof.
"We would have to double the prices of products to keep up with it and I am not prepared to do that.
"Everybody has had their budgets squeezed with the cost of living so people certainly wouldn't pay those kinds of prices.
"Electricity costs have been ridiculous, we only have two ovens and have been paying the best part of £1,000 on electric every month which is unsustainable.
"The only thing that hasn't gone up is our rent.
"Our landlord has been amazingly supportive since I spoke to them at the beginning of the summer about our difficulties.
"After the closure I think I will focus on wedding cakes but I want to make sure that the cake shop is closed properly first and that all our staff are taken care of.
"The Cake Tin has become part of our lives, it is our family hub that we come into on a daily basis so from that point of view it will be very sad to lose it.
"I want to thank everyone for their support, you have all been amazing.
"It has been a huge learning curve but has been so much fun.
"From an outside untrained eye, it looks like a really successful business but unfortunately the costs behind the scenes have just spiralled out of control so that the business is no longer viable."
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