Anouk and Jordan Rondel expanded their Caker business to the US. Photo / Norrie Montgomery
Anouk and Jordan Rondel expanded their Caker business to the US. Photo / Norrie Montgomery
Two years after arriving in Hollywood, two Kiwi sisters are getting their designer cake kits into all the best places.
The Caker founder Jordan Rondel, 32, launched the business just over 10 years ago in Auckland and little sister Anouk, 29 is co-owner.
After dominating the fashionable cake market inNew Zealand, the pair made a three-year plan to expand into Los Angeles. The business specialises in two forms — selling the finished product as the "couture" and selling cake kits as the "ready-to-wear".
Sisters Anouk and Jordan Rondel are the brains behind the high end cake company The Caker.
"The couture is crucial in creating the brand, but the ready-to-wear is the part that you can scale up and make money from. So we rented a big commercial kitchen in Downtown LA and began to bake for weddings and events — and in the background we worked on getting production of the cake kits set up," Jordan tells Spy.
Jordan Rondel is successfully expanding The Caker in L.A
Last week saw the brand arrive at famous US department-store chain Neiman Marcus, which asked The Caker to exclusively create a Spiced Pear Cake Kit.
"Being stocked online and on shelves of 37 of arguably the most prestigious department stores in the USA is kind of a huge deal for us, especially because this was Neiman Marcus' first foray into stocking food items," says Jordan.
After riding the Covid restrictions with events in LA, the pair are delighted their home-cook cakes are rising in popularity.
The brand is backed by slick marketing and collaborations with influencers — perfect in a city full of stars and hopefuls.
Their favourite colab has been with entrepreneur Tezza Barton, who made the Forbes 30 under 30 list recently for her sunglasses company and photography effects app Tezza. Barton's other colabs have included fashion industry giants Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger and Dior Beauty.
Next in line for The Caker is to continue expansion and attempt to break into markets in Europe and Asia.
"I think the secret to my success is something called grit," says Jordan.
"I may not be the smartest or savviest entrepreneur in the world, but I'm absolutely not afraid of working hard and I know how to stay creative and have my finger on the pulse of what's cool. I'm so incredibly dedicated to my business through thick and thin, that nothing can really stop me."
Her finger is still very much on the pulse back in Godzone too, thanks to a large support crew.
"Anouk and I would not be where we are in the US right now without a team of 20 as passionate and dedicated about The Caker as we are. I miss everyone dearly. Summer always brings lots of exciting new releases. Our Christmas menu this year is FIRE, Valentine's Day will be extra special, and there are three other projects which I can't talk about yet — but just you wait."
