The woman at the centre of a ‘cake gate’ scandal that has engulfed former Coronation Street actress Catherine Tyldesley has opened up about company’s struggles.
Rebecca Severs, 37, poured her heart, soul and savings into her Three Little Birds bakery in Keighley, West Yorkshire. And while she is now being ‘rushed off her feet’ due to phenomenal interest in her company, and a flood of orders of the back of 39-year-old Catherine’s cake order scandal, it seems the small family business has always had to work hard to keep the books afloat.
Last week, Three Little Birds found itself in the eye of a media storm when the company posted a social media update revealing they had been approached by a PR company who demanded two cakes and 100 cupcakes to be produced in exchange for ‘social media promotion’ via the accounts of a TV star. The star in question was eventually discovered to be Corrie star Cath - who has since been bombarded with hate for allegedly trying to swindle a company out of financial reward for her work.
Now Rebecca has shared details about her company history with the Daily Mail, explaining that she changed career from legal publishing to opening her own shop. Bec had made cakes in her spare time but had dreamed of one day opening her own store.
Rebecca Severs has explained the history of her Three Little Birds bakery (thethreelittlebirdsbakery/Facebook)
Catherine Tyldesley, photoed with husband Tom Pitford, was alleged to have requested cakes in exchange for social media promotion (Getty Images)The pandemic and a tenancy agreement falling through delayed her plans, but Three Little Birds finally opened in May this year. She says that the shop has been a success and has now been able to hire more staff to help meet demand.
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Bec - who shares daughters Isla, Amelie and Josie with her husband, Aidan - told the publication: “On our opening weekend, I was in the shop until 2.30am finishing all the cakes,' she says. 'I've burnt the candle at both ends, getting up early to bake at the shop, then doing admin until late at night. And it's not all glam decorating — there's so much washing up.
“My husband does a regular shift on the shop counter on a Friday, which he loves. Pouring finances into the shop renovation meant sacrificing a lot of luxuries for a while.
Rebecca has won an avalanche of admiration for denying Catherine's cake request (Facebook/Little Birds Bakery)“But the risks you take make you more determined to succeed. I had to weigh up whether to part with a stake in the business and I eventually decided against it. To keep full control, I'm paying a higher cost of capital.”
A company called NVRLND had approached Three Little Birds with the offer of social media coverage and a plug in OK! Magazine in return for the baking of 102 cakes for a TV star. Three Little Birds' viral email reply to NVRLND read: "I’m so sorry to hear that your client has fallen on such hard times they can’t afford to pay small businesses their products.
“Unfortunately as my mortgage provider doesn’t take payment 'in the form of promotion on their socials', and my staff can’t feed their kids with exposure on Instagram, I’ll have to decline your very generous offer."
After the response went viral, Catherine was revealed to be the TV star in question, but she hit out at the scandal claiming she was oblivious about the offer being made for her on her behalf. She said in a social media video of her own: "Cake gate, what!
“So I have no idea those emails were being sent. I'm not working with the lovely OK! Magazine on anything that I'm aware of and NVRLAND are an amazing company. They've supplied me with performers in the past. They're insane and they've been completely misrepresented in this matter. Utterly bizarre. Don't really know what to say. I mean I hope the cake lady got the exposure she was craving."
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