Haywards Heath College student, 17, enjoys sweet success with ornate cake business

Paige Nesbitt, of Sandrocks Way, founded Pixie’s Cakery in 2022 and is known for creating ornate cakes, cupcakes and tray bakes.

“I started early July of last year after I finished my GCSEs,” Paige told the the Middy, adding that she currently runs the operation from her parents’ house in Sandrocks Way.

She said: “I was going to have a long summer ahead of me and I’ve always loved baking. It’s always been a very strong passion of mine and I knew that that this break would be a good opportunity to get a job.”

So she decided to see if her favourite hobby could make money, and it did.

Paige said: “In the summer I got a lot of orders for lemon drizzles – they’re very popular – and banoffee pies. But I also take desert requests. Anyone could reach out and message me to make something completely random.”

She sold her desserts at Borde Hill’s Christmas Market, selling out within two hours of being there. She also provided a cake as a raffle prize for a local primary school.

Paige said many of her creations follow a similar design style, as she has crafted a consistent and recognisable look.

Among her favourite desserts to make are her floral cupcakes, particularly her ‘cupcake bouquets’. Paige said: “They take a lot of time but they're so worth it in the end.”

She continued: “I put a lot of time and thought into how I’m going to decorate a cake, so I always draw out sketches and then I send sketches to the customer to make sure they're completely happy with it.”

The only thing Paige finds tricky at the moment is time limits, especially if she has lots of cake orders. Balancing college work can be a challenge too but Paige said her parents have been very supportive.

At the moment she is not sure whether she wants to go to university as it might mean pausing her business. She said she might try to expand Pixie’s Cakery to start supplying places after sixth form.

Visit www.facebook.com/pixiescakery.co.uk.