Caitlyn Badham-Thornhill and Sophie Beale quit dull jobs to open their dream cupcake business 18 months ago. Ever since then, they’ve been fixtures in Camden Lock Market, running a stall in West Yard seven days a week.
Alongside the decadent range of cupcakes, they specialise in tablet fudge (try the cinnamon double chilli chocolate) and also offer huge oatmeal cookies, cakes and a line in their own hand-drawn greetings cards on recycled materials.
They’d love it if you follow them on Facebook here and/or Twitter @CupcakesnShhht. You’ll be rewarded with plenty of maple syrup-fuelled banter, as we were when we paid them a visit.
When are you happiest?
Baking. And in the pub after.
Where would you like to live?
We’d love to be able to deliver our cookies via houseboat. Living on the canal moored somewhere between here and Hackney.
What is your favourite sound or smell?
The smell is our tablet fudge cooking. The sound would be Camden Lock Market when it’s really busy.
What is your greatest life achievement?
Owning our business here in the market for a year and a half now.
What makes you unhappy?
Bad food. People who don’t use salt and butter in everything. We’re really good at eating butter.
Your most unappealing habit?
We laugh way too much. We share a unique sense of humour and it can be inappropriate at times. Like when our tears splatter the cookies.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Cocktails at Bar 55.
Where do you hang out?
Joe’s Bar and Lockside Lounge in the evenings, Café Chula in the day as it does the best coffee.
Who or what do you hate and why?
Hate is strong word. We strongly dislike people who wear bright pink. And people that grab the food. And pigeons.
What’s been your best experience? And worst?
The best was the time we sat beside Camden Lock deciding if we could really make a go of the business. We had a drink, plucked up the courage and bought the name. We always wanted a cupcake business. To make shit and sell it, so the title just made sense. The worst is working at 8am after leaving the club a half 7. We haven’t done that much though. Honest.
Tell us a secret.
Sometimes we sleep under the table at work.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
Having to wear thermal market clothing most of the year. We put on seven layers. It takes 15 minutes to get dressed.
What has your career taught you?
If you truly love something, more than likely it will succeed. We’re often up the whole night baking, yet we still enjoy it.
What is your favourite dish and why?
We do so much eating. We’re up to about six meals a day on the stall. Pancakes with mascarpone strawberries with maple syrup. We make great bacon and maple syrup cupcakes too.
What was your worst gig and why?
Once at a Marylyn Manson gig we were told off for being too noisy. Can you believe it?
Describe yourselves as animals.
Can we both be lamas please? We love them. They’re overexcited, pointless, beautiful and funny.
1 thought on “Ich Bin Kentishtowner: Caitlyn and Sophie, stallholders, Cupcakes & Shhht”
You guys are awesome! Its now the main reason I venture down into the market. 🙂 You’re always so incredibly happy, I suppose that’s what comes from selling stuff which makes people smile.