Whangarei's Kiwicakes finalist in Australasia cake decorating awards

Kiwicakes owner Sandra Boston with one of her creations made using products available from Kiwicakes.

Kiwicakes is a finalist in the inaugural Australian Cake Decorating Network industry awards.

The Whangarei based business is nominated for the category "Best Retailer". The category is for businesses that retail cake decorating supplies.

These industry awards are the first of their kind within Australasia and were created to celebrate the achievements of individuals, teachers, businesses and the whole of the Australian and New Zealand cake decorating Industry, said Kiwicakes owner Sandra Boston.

Kiwicakes, New Zealand's largest online cake supplies and decorating store, is one of only 15 businesses nominated by customers across Australasia for Best Retailer and one of only two businesses from New Zealand nominated for this category, she said.

The other Kiwi business is Cakestuff from Hastings.

While many of the categories for these awards are judged by a team of experts, Best Retailer is awarded by public vote. Voting closes on Friday, January 26.

Ms Boston is hoping Kiwicakes' many local customers will take part in the voting.

"It's a pretty bid deal for us. We have to go up against some big Australian firms, so figured we could use all the local help we could for votes."

Voting is online at https://www.austcakedecoratingnetwork.com/awards/voting/ .

The winners for all categories will be announced at a gala dinner on February 17 aboard a 5-star yacht for a dinner cruise in Sydney harbour.

As well as providing everything for cake, cupcake, chocolate and cookie creations, Kiwicakes also has a range of party supplies.

Ms Boston started Kiwicakes while pregnant with her second child in 2006. She created Kiwicakes so she could work part-time from home.

"I had a passion for cake decorating and in New Zealand at the time it was difficult to source cake decorating supplies."

Kiwicakes employs four people based in two buildings in Grant St, Kamo and is the New Zealand distributor of many international brands for amateur and professional cake decorators.

Ms Boston is a trained Wilton Method instructor and loves teaching students the art of cake decorating.

She enjoys making cakes for her children and family, and has created some special cakes for collaborations with other national cake decorators, such as the Desolation of Smaug cake made for a not-for-profit Peter Jackson cake collaboration in 2015.

Kiwicakes supports two charities: Operation Sugar and SPCA Whangarei Branch/SPCA Cupcake Day.