Mili Mendez Cakes sees Venezuelan flavours in Henstead

Mili Mendez Cakes is based in Henstead, near Beccles, and is using tastes from Venezuela to entice people with a sweet tooth. 

It was set up by Mili Mendez who found her passion for baking as a child in her hometown of Mérida, Venezuela. 

After she moved to Suffolk three years ago, she began to grow her own ingredients at her farm and started "delving into the art of floriculture, and embracing the practice of sustainable foraging". 

Then she founded Mili Mendez Cakes, using recipes she grew up with.

She sells bespoke cakes, and launched her new seasonal cake kits at Aldeburgh Food Festival, using “vibrant Venezuelan flavours” and “hyper-local farm ingredients”. 

Mili and her team at Aldeburgh food festival, launching their new cake kits (Image: Mili Mendez Cakes) READ MORE: The Wortwell Bell near Harleston is back on the market

Ms Mendez said: "Our goal has always been to take what makes Suffolk special—its ingredients and community—and create something that feels like a shared celebration.

"We have spent years refining our approach, including finding the finest cacao in Venezuela, and making sure that every ingredient we use is either grown or ethically sourced within the UK.

"It's all about bringing people closer to their food and the people who grow it."

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Special edition gluten-free Venezuelan chocolate cake kit (Image: Mili Mendez Cakes) The gluten-free Venezuelan chocolate cake made (Image: Mili Mendez Cakes) READ MORE: Lacons hopes to reopen The Artichoke in Broome next spring

"Our cake kits are inspired by the seasons, featuring fresh produce at its peak and celebrating the changing landscape of Suffolk," Ms Mendez said.

"It gives confidence to people who want to bake but don't know how," she added.

The new cake kits contain everything you need to make the cake, including fresh produce, a baking container, and dried flower decorations.

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Apple Cake with Venezuelan Arequipe is another available cake kit (Image: Mili Mendez Cakes) READ MORE: The Horkey festival returns to The Cut arts centre

She sources the Venezuelan cacao from a single estate in the Sur del Lago region, that is "rare and limited edition" and "offers a rich, authentic taste". 

Mili Mendez Cakes is an online business and delivers the cake kits to your doorstep.

They also have a drop-off point at The Canteen, a community-run cafe, in Southwold.

The business uses numerous local suppliers for ingredients not sourced on their farm, including Fen Farm Dairy, E S Burroughs & Son, Hodmedods, and Hillfarm Oils, among others.