FAQ's
Got questions? We have answers.
Whether you are fixing a baking emergency, picking the right cake box size, or tracking a parcel, we are here to help. Explore our quick guides below to find exactly what you need to keep your kitchen running smoothly.
💡 Quick Reminders: Free UK Mainland delivery starts on orders over £40. Need it tomorrow? Make sure to place your order before our 2:00 PM weekday cutoff!
🔒 Orders, Returns & Payments
Ordering online is quick and simple:
- Add items to your order by clicking 'Add to Basket'. You can change quantities directly on the product page or later on the basket page.
- Click the basket icon at the top right of your screen to see a preview of your items and costs.
- Select 'Secure Checkout' to proceed immediately, or 'View Basket' to adjust quantities, remove items, or apply a discount code.
- Complete the checkout in four simple steps: log in (or checkout as a guest), enter your delivery address, select your postage option, and input your payment details. Once finished, an on-screen confirmation will appear and a confirmation email will be sent to you.
To make your checkout as smooth as possible, we accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), as well as seamless express mobile options including Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal.
No, we cannot add items to an existing order once it has been placed because our warehouse team processes and packs orders immediately for efficient shipping. If you need additional items, the best solution is to call us immediately on +44 (0)345 5651700 to cancel your original order (if it hasn't already been processed) and then place a fresh, combined order.
For food safety and hygiene reasons, we cannot accept returns on any edible products (including icings, food colours, and sprinkles) or items with food-contact surfaces unless they are faulty. For non-edible items like cake tins, equipment, or unopened/sealed boxes, you can return them within our standard return window. Please contact customer service to initiate a return.
Because we use tracked services with reliable couriers like DPD, Fedex, and Royal Mail, a GPS delivery coordinate and digital proof of delivery is captured for almost every order. Please check your tracking link first to see where the parcel was left (e.g., in a safe place or with a neighbour). If you still cannot locate it, contact us within 24 hours at info@craftcompany.co.uk so we can open an immediate courier investigation.
Yes, we love rewarding our regular bakers! We run an exclusive Craft Company Loyalty Scheme. Every time you shop with us, you accumulate points that can be redeemed for discounts on future baking and cake decorating supplies. You can view your points balance at any time by logging into your account.
To keep your details completely secure, our website automatically times out after a prolonged period of inactivity. Don't worry if this happens—we automatically save the items in your shopping basket! Simply log back into your account, and you will be taken right back to where you left off.
Unfortunately, we are unable to accept or process orders over the telephone. All orders must be placed securely through our website. If you have any questions or need assistance navigating the site, our Customer Services team is happy to guide you on +44 (0)345 5651700.
No, we cannot add items to an existing order once it has been placed because our warehouse team processes and packs orders immediately for efficient shipping. If you need additional items, the best solution is to call us immediately on +44 (0)345 5651700 to cancel your original order (if it hasn't already been processed) and then place a fresh, combined order.
You can cancel your order prior to it being processed for shipment, and we will issue a full refund including any shipping costs.
The only exception: If your order contains a customised or personalised item that has already entered manufacturing or supply, it cannot be cancelled. Your cancellation rights for these lines end the moment work on the customisation begins.
Because we work quickly, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to cancel an order before it has been processed for shipment. We strongly advise that you call Customer Services immediately on +44 (0)345 5651700 if you need to request a cancellation.
The only exception: If your order contains a customised or personalised item that has already entered manufacturing or supply, it cannot be cancelled. Your cancellation rights for these lines end the moment work on the customisation begins.
Because we work quickly, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to cancel an order before it has been processed for shipment. We strongly advise that you call Customer Services immediately on +44 (0)345 5651700 if you need to request a cancellation.
Please inspect your parcel as soon as it arrives. All missing or damaged items must be reported to us on the day of delivery.
To file a report, email info@craftcompany.co.uk with your name, order number, order date, details of the missing or damaged items, and a contact phone number. We will promptly arrange a replacement or refund.
To file a report, email info@craftcompany.co.uk with your name, order number, order date, details of the missing or damaged items, and a contact phone number. We will promptly arrange a replacement or refund.
Currently, The Craft Company operates entirely as an online e-commerce retailer shipping directly from our central fulfillment center. We do not have a storefront or customer desk equipped for safe local collections or Click & Collect. All orders must be placed online for home or business courier delivery.
Delivery
We know how important deadlines are when you’re baking for a special event! We offer multiple delivery options at checkout:
Please see our Delivery & Returns page for more information.
- Standard Delivery: Typically takes 3–5 working days. It is FREE on orders over £40 for mainland Great Britain.
- Next-Day Delivery: Delivered the next working day. Please see the live countdown timer at the top of our homepage to see how much time you have left to qualify for today's dispatch.
Please see our Delivery & Returns page for more information.
Yes, we deliver across the UK. However, please note that shipping rates and delivery timelines may vary for Northern Ireland, the Scottish Highlands, and offshore islands compared to our standard Mainland GB delivery rate. Your exact shipping options will calculate automatically at checkout based on your postcode.
Because we work quickly to pack and dispatch your orders to meet strict baking deadlines, we are usually unable to amend or add items to an order once it has been processed. If you’ve forgotten an essential item, please contact our customer service team as soon as possible at 03455 651 700 or info@craftcompany.co.uk, and we will do our best to help if your order hasn’t reached the warehouse floor.
We take great care in packaging delicate icing sheets, sugar craft decorations, and fragile candles. However, if any part of your order arrives damaged, please take a quick photograph of the damaged items and their packaging, and email it to info@craftcompany.co.uk along with your order number. Our team will arrange a replacement or refund immediately to save your baking project.
For our Next-Day Delivery service, orders must be placed before 2:00 PM. Please keep in mind that this is a working day service and does not include weekends or bank holidays:
- Orders placed before 2:00 PM on Friday will be dispatched for delivery on Monday.
- Orders placed after 2:00 PM on Friday and before 2:00 PM on Monday will be dispatched for delivery on Tuesday.
🎂 Cake Boards, Boxes & Sizing
We would normally recommend that you choose a cake board 2" larger than the cake you're making. This gives enough space around the base for icing and decorations without it looking cramped.
As a general rule, your cake box should match the exact size of your cake board. For example, if you are using a 10-inch cake board, you will need a 10-inch cake box. This ensures the board sits snugly inside the box and prevents the cake from sliding around during transport.
Choosing the right structural support is essential for a stable cake:
- Cake Drums (approx. 12mm thick): These are sturdy, heavy-duty corrugated boards covered in foil. They are essential for heavy fruitcakes, multi-tiered wedding cakes, and sponge cakes covered in dense buttercream or sugar paste.
- Cake Boards / Cards (approx. 1.5mm to 3mm thick): These are thinner and lighter. They are ideal for single-tier sponge cakes, gateaux, or as internal support layers between the tiers of a stacked cake.
Our patterned, silver, and coloured foil-faced cake boards are designed to resist grease from standard buttercreams and royal icings. However, for heavily saturated or oil-rich bakes, we always recommend placing a thin layer of baking parchment or a food-safe card underneath the cake base to ensure the outer foil stays pristine and free from oil shadow markings.
Our standard cake boxes are typically 6 inches (15cm) deep, which perfectly accommodates traditional single-tier decorated celebration cakes. If you are creating a modern, extra-tall cake or a multi-tiered design, we also supply Tall Cake Boxes, Extra Tall Cake BoxesCake Box Extension Corners. These allow you to safely extend the height of a standard box using a second lid or wrap.
🎨 Ingredients, Allergens & Dietary
Full ingredient lists, dietary designations, and allergen warnings (such as gluten, nuts, dairy, or soy) are clearly detailed on each individual product page under the technical description section. They are also printed explicitly on the physical product packaging when it arrives.
Yes! We cater to all dietary requirements. We supply a wide range of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options across our sugar pastes, sprinkles, and food colourings. You can easily refine your search on our website using our category filters to view only the products that match your specific dietary needs.
We carry a selection of natural food colourings and sprinkles derived from plant extracts and natural concentrates. You can check the ingredients list on each product page or look out for brands specifically highlighting natural ingredients. (Note: Some artificial colours like E102, E122, or E129 carry a warning regarding child attention, which we always state explicitly on the label).
We manage our inventory strictly to ensure our customers receive products with maximum usability. Unless where stated we aim to ship all items with at least 3 months shelf life. This will be less on selected items including our range of ready made cakes, ready to use frostings and buttercreams, and some items in our sale category.
If you are ordering far in advance for a major project and need a specific date check, feel free to contact us.
If you are ordering far in advance for a major project and need a specific date check, feel free to contact us.
🤖 Technical Baking
Selecting the right coloring type depends entirely on your ingredients:
- Gels & Pastes (e.g., Colour Splash, Sugarflair): Highly concentrated, vibrant, and water-based. Perfect for fondant, sugar paste, royal icing, and standard cake batters because they won't alter the consistency of your mix.
- Oil-Based Colours (e.g., Colour Mill): Specifically engineered to bond with fats. These are absolutely essential for colouring chocolate, candy melts, Swiss meringue buttercream, and high-fat cake mixtures where water-based colours would cause the mixture to seize or split.
- Liquid Colours: Best suited for light tinting, airbrushing, or mixing directly into fluid icings.
Liquid food colourings are perfect for airbrushing straight from the bottle. Highly concentrated paste or gel colours (like Sugarflair or Colour Splash) must be thinned down first using dipping solution, high-strength clear alcohol (Rejuvenator Spirit), or boiled water before being used in an airbrush nozzle to prevent clogging.
Different pastes have different stretching properties. For a flawless, silky finish with excellent elasticity over tall tiers or sharp edges, premium ready-to-roll fondants like Satinara Luxury Sugar Paste are highly recommended. For detailed figures or intricate flower work, a specific modeling paste or flower paste is better, as it dries much firmer than standard rolling fondant.
Our high-quality acrylic and plastic cake toppers (such as our Cake Star or Disney ranges) are durable and entirely reusable. Simply wash them gently by hand in warm, soapy water after use, dry them thoroughly, and store them safely for your next celebration. Candles, of course, are designed for single-use lighting but most feature food-safe picks for easy insertion.
To extend the life of your professional bakeware and metal sugarcraft cutters, we highly recommend washing them by hand in warm, soapy water. Avoid abrasive scrubbing pads and dishwashers, as harsh detergents can degrade non-stick surfaces or cause tinplated cutters to rust. Always dry them completely before storing.
⚖️ Compliance & Commercial Baking
Absolutely. The Craft Company is part of the largest Cake Decorating supply company in the world. 1000's of commercial bakeries, wholesalers, and cake makers rely on our products everyday. Because of this we have our own in house technical and compliance team and all edible items, food colours, glitters, and food-contact packagings (like our cake boards and boxes) sold on our website fully comply with UK Food Information Regulations and safety standards.
Unlike other cake decorating companies we do not sell out of date products and everything is 100% non-toxic, consumer-safe, and graded for commercial food applications—perfect for home bakers preparing for environmental health inspections.
Unlike other cake decorating companies we do not sell out of date products and everything is 100% non-toxic, consumer-safe, and graded for commercial food applications—perfect for home bakers preparing for environmental health inspections.
When using non-edible decorations such as wire-based toppers, plastic figurines, or real flowers, you should always use a protective barrier. We recommend inserting wire flower stems into food-safe posy picks or wrapping them in florist tape before pushing them into the cake sponge. Always notify your end consumer if a topper needs to be removed before slicing.
A full breakdown of VAT is included in your order confirmation email.
🏢 Wholesale & Care
Yes! While we cater to hobbyists looking for individual items, we also offer multi-packs and bulk quantities on popular lines of cupcake boxes, cake boxes, cupcake cases, and cake cards. Buying in these larger quantities automatically reduces your cost-per-unit, helping you keep your business margins healthy.
We are committed to helping bakers find sustainable packaging solutions. Many of our cardboard cake boxes, cupcake boxes, and white cake cards are fully recyclable. For foil-faced cake drums and boards, the core is often recyclable once the protective decorative foil layer is separated.
We restock our core lines of icings, colourings, and popular box sizes weekly. If an item you need is currently unavailable, simply click the "Request Stock Notification" button on that product's page. Enter your email address, and we will automatically message you the exact second it arrives back in our warehouse.
Still need help or can't find what you need? Contact our customer service team here and they'll reply as soon as possible.