Mich Turner MBE, Founder, Little Venice Cake Company

1. Tell us about your company and how it started.

Little Venice Cake Company is one of London’s most esteemed designer cake companies – creating totally indulgent, bespoke cakes for the most discerning clients for the past 20 years. We have now diversified into teaching, consultancy, franchises, books, china and tools.

2. What has been your biggest success to date?

We have made cakes for many high-profile clients, hotels and celebrities, including Pierce Brosnan, Madonna, Sir Paul McCartney, David Beckham, Gordon Ramsay and Her Majesty the Queen. We have worked with many of the five-star London hotels and created hamper cakes for Harrods and Fortnum & Mason. I have written six international bestselling books on cake and have won several prestigious awards, including Harper’s Bazaar and Chanel Entrepreneur of the Year Award. In 2010 I received an MBE for my services to the catering industry.

3. What project are you most excited about right now?

In association with William Edwards Home, we are launching our first collection of fine bone china for tea – featuring mugs, tea for one, cake stands and rectangular plates. The china makes the perfect gift to enjoy tea and cake and accompanies my new, bestselling book, Have Your Cake and Eat It – Delicious, Nutritious Recipes for Healthier Everyday Baking. I am an ambassador for Scottish Bakers Association and National Tea Day, and act as a consultant in the bakery industry. We have several projects underway to be revealed in 2018 – oh, and I am receiving my Freedom of the City of London this Christmas!

4. How has being a member of The Clubhouse contributed to the success of your business?

The Clubhouse quite simply gives me complete flexibility without the overheads of a central London office and is ideal as so much of my time is spent travelling overseas and filming.

5. Where can members find you?

I use The Clubhouse, St James’s and especially the ground floor Flexible Meeting Area lvcc.co.uk

Quick Fire Round

Favourite place to go in London?
Regents Park and Clifton Nurseries

Who inspires you and why?
Anyone who is super professional and passionate about what they do and is prepared to push themselves to achieve their potential – being respectful to everyone they encounter on the way Best bit of advice you’ve been given? If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got; don’t confuse estimated profit with the real thing; swim your own race; don’t procrastinate If you were on a desert island, what would you bring? iPad and credit card – shallow I know – but I run my life and home this way! My family would probably not notice I wasn’t home!

Which super power would you like to have?
Multiplicity – to have more of me! There is never enough time in the day to achieve everything on my to-do list!

What is the worst business ‘faux-pas’ you’ve committed?
Taking so long to learn to say NO to all the ‘free cakes’ we have been asked to provide for the purpose of PR