Floss Cakery is on a mission to empower everyone to open up conversations around mental health, while creating and eating delicious treats.
What started four years ago as a side hustle for Lauren Stewart, took on a life of its own, until it became her full time vocation in 2020.
“I think I always knew I would have a business like this – I’ve always loved sweet stuff and cakes, but I never expected Floss would take me where it has,” she says.
While her birthday cake business is booming, Lauren’s heart lies in deepening and widening the conversation around mental health – through cake.
In May 2021, she held an Are You O’caKe event where fifty participants decorated cupcakes, participated in a session with self-compassion teacher and had an open conversation about suicide and mental health.
“As a young person I always struggled with anxiety, but never realised what it was. It took me so long to understand what it was, and I discovered talking about it made me feel better and allowed me to get the help and support I needed,” she says.
Lauren developed a range of Are You O’caKe Flosskits, simple to bake cake kits which contain conversation starter cards to help people open up and start talking about mental health while they create and eat a delicious cake.
“The idea of bringing people together so they feel less alone and spreading love and creativity is something I really care about and it’s no mistake that Floss has gone in this direction,” she says.
Lauren says she hopes people will take two things from the Flosskits. Firstly, that it can be simple to bake and decorate a really delicious cake, and secondly, it can be just as easy to open up a conversation around mental health – to talk about things that matter.
“I also really want people to know they are important. I’ve had some rough times – it’s so much better to stay,” she says.
Pop into Kings Plant Barn Stonefields on select days from 26 September - 2 October for a taste test, cake decorating demonstrations and tips on how to pipe the perfect cupcake frosting, plus you can pick up your very own Flosskit. One dollar from every Flosskit sold is donated to NZ mental health charities.
Floss Cakery is a finalist in the Westpac Auckland Business Awards – Community Contribution category and winners will be announced in December.
