Temptation, temptation

ANYONE strolling up Saddler Street, in Durham City, couldn’t fail to notice a new addition to the quirky mixture of shops, cafes and art galleries.

Bright pink and packed full of beautifully adorned cupcakes, Be Tempted is a treat for the eyes and, for anyone who samples the delights on offer, a treat for the tastebuds too.

The shop-come-cafe belongs to Barbara Smith, a former catering manager from Chester-le-Street who believes her passion for baking is what makes her cakes and traybakes taste so delicious.

“I just love baking,” she says. “I look forward to making cakes and it is definitely when I am at my happiest.

I think it makes a difference to the results too. I really believe that you only create good cupcakes when you enjoy making them.”

Barbara, who has baked for as long as she can remember, has dreamed of opening her own shop for years.

And after testing the waters with an online business, her dream finally came to fruition at the beginning of the month.

“I felt the online market was too saturated and I was desperate to have a shop so people can actually see the cakes before placing an order,” she says.

“I love the idea of customers coming back again and again for their favourite cupcakes. We only opened last week and we already have a few regulars. It is the only cupcake shop in Durham and I think we offer something a little bit different.”

There is certainly no shortage of choice. Cake lovers can choose from a selection of frosted cupcakes, all baked on site using free range eggs and the finest natural ingredients.

Varieties include chocolate orange, mint chocolate chip, rocky road, double chocolate chip, banoffee, lemon drizzle, toffee fudge and carrot cake, as well as a weekly special. Traybakes, frozen yoghurt, tea and coffee are also available, with customers able to eat in at no extra cost.

However, for Barbara, Be Tempted is about more than just good cake. It is about creating a magical experience.

Looking around, it is clear the imagination she injects into her cakes extends to every last detail.

Presentation is everything. Cupcakes are not only expertly decorated, but can be taken away in beautiful, themed boxes. The shop walls, meanwhile, are covered with giant teapots, honey bees and illustrated scenes from Alice in Wonderland. It’s hardly surprising that tourists stop in the street to take photographs and children squeal with excitement when they walk through the door.

“The feedback has been amazing,” says Barbara. “I wanted the shop to be a bit quirky, but still appeal to people.

A lot of the pictures and decorations are from my own home, so it feels very personal. A little girl came in the other day and said it felt like being inside a house and that is just what I wanted to achieve – a lovely homely environment where people can relax, have a cup of tea and treat themselves to something delicious.”

With the craze for colourful cupcakes showing no sign of abating, Barbara is full of plans for the future.

The team already caters for birthday parties, weddings and corporate events and she is keen to expand on this further. She is also considering hosting cake decorating workshops for hen parties. “I have lots of ideas for the future but it is early days so, for now, I am concentrating on establishing the shop,” she says. “It is all very exciting.”

• Be Tempted, 51 Saddler Street, Durham. Open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5.30pm, Sunday 11am to 4pm. Tel: 0191-375-7878. betempted.co.uk
• National Cupcake Week starts on Monday. British Baker has teamed up with the charity CLIC Sargent, the UK's leading cancer charity for children and young people, to ask bakers to help raise donations during the week by selling cupcake pins or holding cake sales. More information on nationalcupcakeweek.co.uk