Door-to-door delivery with a fresh take on all things home-baked

From oven door to front door, Crumbs dessert delivery service wants to provide homemade baked goods without the hassle – but with a personal touch.

For founder Lea Richard, who was already supplying a few Phnom Penh cafes with her desserts, opening Crumbs was a natural next step.

“I enjoy baking, and I was already beginning to supply more places, so I thought I may as well develop what I was doing into an actual business,” she explained this week.

Crumbs is a small-scale operation run from Richard’s own kitchen. If not always practical, baking in-house lends the business its authenticity.

Crumbs lime-and-ginger drizzle cake. Photo supplied

“I just use my own kitchen to create things at the moment, so they really are homemade,” she said. “It can get a little bit hot and messy, because my kitchen isn’t so big, but this way, the whole business is based on genuinely homemade desserts.”

Delivering her customers the warm, comforting feeling that only a well-made, home-baked treat can give is Crumbs’ entire concept. “I don’t want it to do high-end cakes. That market is already covered here and they do it very well,” Richard said. “What I am really trying to do is tap the homemade, original market, to create that feeling of home.”

Part of that entails throwing away the idea of a set menu. Instead, Richard talks with her customers to develop a dessert that suits them and the event, to make a truly personal product.

“I have a bit of a menu developed, but usually I just ask them what flavours they like and give a few suggestions, and we work from there,” she said. “I don’t think a set menu is too important for this because it’s about customising.”

Crumbs launched last Sunday at Long After Dark in Tuol Tom Poung, where cocktails were served alongside samples of Lea’s homemade delights. For Richard, the day was about showing as much variety as possible.

Crumbs founder Lea Richard. Photo supplied

“There was a chocolate cake with ginger ganache, lime-and-ginger drizzle cake, white chocolate, cardamom and raspberry cheesecake, and some lime tarts, muffins and cookies,” she explained.

For those looking to get hooked, Crumbs caters events ranging from birthdays to NGO meetings. Richard also creates gluten-free and vegan options to ensure nobody misses out on her desserts.

“I make an almond and chocolate-swirl cheesecake and delicious peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies, and you can’t even tell they’re vegan or gluten-free,” she said. “I think it’s important for people to enjoy these desserts together.”

sourced:phnompenhpost.com