We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Theo Purdom. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Theo below.

Theo, appreciate you joining us today. Do you have any advice regarding quality control and maintaining quality as your brand grows?

Maintaining quality has always remained a top priority for me, ever since I started the business. I always knew I would keep Theo’s Delights on a small-scale level and that it would only be myself, so times where I’d be fully booked were inevitable. However, I’ve always dedicated myself to a “quality over quantity” approach. As much as I would love to take on any cake or dessert request, I always take a moment to evaluate the situation to determine if it’ll be possible for me to give my all into each order. If I could share any advise with those concerned, I’d recommend simply being honest with each client. If I don’t have the right tools to give them the best quality product, I sit down with them, talk it out, and offer possible alternatives that may work for the benefit of us both. More times than not, it ends up working out!

Theo, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I graduated from Johnson & Wales with degrees in Baking & Pastry and Food Service Management in 2021. Although I am classily trained on several pastries and desserts, cake decorating has been my true passion for the longest time. I always spent my time in the kitchen whenever my grandma would visit, and we’d always make cakes together. I’ve gone from making boxed cake mix to developing my own cake recipes, and I so enjoy being able to create art with each design that comes my way. My clients see the work I do and become excited to work with me to bring their ideas to life. I enjoy being a small business owner, being able to sit down on a personal level with each client and take the time to design a unique piece of work that is special to them. I’m most proud of my dedication to consistency over the years. I pride myself on never faltering with my quality, always striving to become greater for the benefit of my clients. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of them, so they’re always the reason I work as hard as I do.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The biggest lesson I had to unlearn was the idea of perfection. Growing up, several powerful figures in my life always had (seemingly) spotless reputations, always had the right answers, always looked the best to the public. I strived so hard in the beginning stages of this business to maintain a level of perfection, and it was slowly eating away at my passion. It wasn’t until I was ready to quit altogether that I realized perfection isn’t what makes a great business/person; transparency and honesty is. Once I opened up about baking, decorating, and mixing my passion for baking with my love for mental health, running Theo’s Delights became so much easier, as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Word-of-mouth! I have been so blessed to work with people that love to share everything with each other, including where they get their cakes from! I can honestly say that as Theo’s Delights began to grow, I continually had more and more new clients saying “I was referred to you by this person” or “I was at this person’s party and saw you did the cake and knew I had to get one from you!” Social media marketing has been helpful for reaching new clients as well, but word-of-mouth has been my guaranteed method for the longest time now.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: theosdelights