Louise Hackett’s passion for baking is clearly evident in her perfectly petite and pretty-as-a-picture cakes on offer at her stall, A Little Peace of Cake, at Byron Farmers Market every Thursday morning. In fact, it seems calling them simply ‘cakes’ is a bit of a disservice as they are more like mini pieces of art!
But what really sets Louise’s range of sweet treats apart is that they are a celebration of local seasonal produce and made with no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
‘Most of my fresh ingredients come from directly from the farmers at Byron Farmers Market and if it is in season then I am usually showcasing that produce in a cake,’ Louise says. ‘I use local eggs, nuts, local dairy and honey from the market and I also only use Australian sugars and flours.’
Louise, who has studied at Le Cordon Bleu in London, says she draws inspiration from the local seasonal produce, so as the seasons change, so too does her offering.
‘One of the main benefits of sourcing ingredients from the local farmers is that I am only using what is in season and when that season is over, it is time to move onto another ingredient,’ she says.
‘Berries are a good example of this and I tend to use a lot in my cakes – and only when they are in season. So when customers ask, for example, why I don’t have raspberries or blueberries in any cakes, my response would be that they are not in season at the moment, even though you can get berries 24/7 at shops.
‘I feel it is great way to educate the general public about seasonality and to eat locally, and support local farmers rather than supporting large supermarkets. I feel very strongly about food mileage and that is why the farmers markets are integral for a local community.’
Louise’s range of cakes include: strawberry; kefir & vanilla with passionfruit icing; beetroot, ginger & walnut; lemon poppy seed; apple, oat & sultana streusel; and lemon & blueberry drizzle.
You can find Louise and her range of homemade cakes at the Little Peace of Cake stall at Byron Farmers Market every Thursday morning.
Byron Farmers Market is held Thursdays 7am to 11am at Butler St Reserve and Bangalow Farmers Market is held Saturdays 7am to 11am behind the Bangalow pub.
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