Crumbs & Doilies ; The World of Jemma Wilson

Crumbs & Doilies is first and foremost a cake, cupcake and cookie shop in London. It is also a whole creative world founded by the talented and bubbly Jemma Wilson.

Before Crumbs & Doilies

Jemma Wilson was studying graphic design in London when she dropped out in her second year. It was in Australia that she took her first steps in the kitchen, testing various recipes. The result did not always live up to her hopes. Yet the young woman persevered and dissected the world of baking. Back in London, she worked for several years as a barmaid. Having mastered mixology, she landed a job at Rose Bakery. After a year, despite a job she enjoyed, she felt the need to spread her wings. Two weeks later, she set up her first stall at the Sunday UpMarket, in Shoreditch. The Crumbs & Doilies adventure thus began in 2006.

Photo credits: Cupcake Jemma and The Telegraph

From Market to YouTube

Crumbs & Doilies ; The Early Days on YouTube

Her cupcake stall began to get noticed. The adventure took a new turn when Jemma started making tutorials on YouTube. Among her landmark videos is a cupcake arrangement celebrating fifty years of the British series Doctor Who. Many more videos followed, each more successful than the last. Her good humour and accessible recipes quickly won over a large audience.

Doctor Who DALEK Cupcakes | Cupcake Jemma

Crumbs & Doilies ; From Soho to The Cake Book

Jemma’s YouTube channel has more than two million subscribers. Her world also extends to Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. The images are polished and the baker’s pastel world works wonderfully. The market stall then gave way to a real shop in Kingly Court, in the heart of Soho. Its pastel blue shopfront houses a selection of cupcakes and slices of cake. It even has its own Instagram account. Coffee and soft drinks complete the offer. In Jamie Oliver‘s Food Tube series, Jemma also wrote The Cake Book. The book offers recipes through the seasons. An easy-to-use book to discover her world.

From Patreon to the Recipe Book

Over the years, Jemma’s world keeps growing with her team. Among them is Dane Pemberton, baker and community manager. Sally Dellar also replaced Jemma for a while in the channel’s videos. Masterful work by a colourful team.

Since October 2021, exclusive recipes, videos and behind-the-scenes content have been available on the paid platform Patreon. Subscribers discover what goes on behind the scenes and enjoy a few perks. In 2022, Jemma published the Crumbs & Doilies book with Penguin. It brings together more than 90 recipes over 272 pages. QR codes link to videos for key techniques. It features the colourful, polished world that is Jemma Wilson’s trademark.

Inspiring, Jemma Wilson deserves praise, as do her team. Their work never disappoints. The London shop is worth a visit during a stay in the English capital. To extend the sweet stroll, the Peggy Porschen (in French) tea room is another must-visit address. As for Jemma’s books, they naturally find their place in any enthusiast’s kitchen.

Cupcake Jemma
Website
Photo credits: Crumbs & Doilies

Crumbs & Doilies