The Caking Sisters – a truly scrumptious family affair

Like many of us, Melissa and Olivia Rees’s love of baking started with making cakes with their grandparents at primary school age. Unlike the rest of us, it’s now their family business, operating out of an industrial kitchen on Mamhilad Park Estate since 2019.

The sisters, who are from Sebastapol, attended Croesyceiliog School where Olivia found herself launching a baking side hustle during Sixth Form.

“During our free lesson, one of the teachers started bringing cake for us all to enjoy, which went down a storm,” she explains.

“That became ‘Cake Thursdays’ when we all started bringing cakes. I then ended up selling cupcakes to my friends at school, then via Facebook and Instagram and it all went from there.”

Demand grew really quickly, mainly through the business’s social channels and Melissa, who had been away firstly studying musical theatre then performing, moved back and The Caking Sisters was born.

By 2020 the business was rapidly outgrowing the kitchen at the Rees family home. Olivia and Melissa’s dad, Wayne, found them the ideal nearby location at Mamhilad Park Estate and helped fit it out as an industrial kitchen.

“It was really convenient for both our homes, mum and dad got their kitchen back,” said Olivia.

“It felt like it was meant to be because our grandad used to work here at the Nylon Spinners factory.”

With business “going through the roof during Covid”, their mum, Deb, became increasingly involved, heading up deliveries as well as providing business support, a role which she has continued ever since.

The sisters have since added a shopfront to their unit at Mamhilad which they open on Thursdays and Fridays.

“It’s a great location and there’s lots of free parking, so it’s easy for people to come and shop or collect their orders,” says Melissa, who still sings professionally in the local area and beyond.

And, as well as being popular with customers from the 200+ businesses based at Mamhilad Park Estate, there are many regulars from the local community – including their original Cake Thursdays teacher!

Follow The Caking Sisters on Facebook and Instagram.

Are you looking for business space? Please get in touch with the Mamhilad team.