House of Cake adopts Alice in Wonderland theme for third anniversary celebrations

INDEPENDENT Wellington business A House of Cake is celebrating its third anniversary by transforming the café into a magical Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.

The Alice in Wonderland-themed display is set to remain throughout the summer.

The café has been decorated with hand-painted roses by local artist Alex Williams Illustration, alongside oversized hats, playing cards, teapots, and other colourful features inspired by the Lewis Carroll story.

The display will remain in place for the next three months, inviting residents and visitors alike to experience a little bit of ‘Wonderland’ in the heart of Wellington.

Since opening its High Street premises in 2023, A House of Cake has become a popular destination serving homemade cakes, desserts, speciality coffees, and refreshments in its café and its gardens to the rear.

Owner Lesley Retallack said: “We wanted to celebrate reaching three years by creating something that would make people smile.

“We hope visitors of all ages enjoy stepping into our little corner of Wonderland.

“It is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to everybody who has supported us over the last three years.”

The anniversary also coincides with the introduction of new outdoor seating, which Ms Retallack said would give customers ‘even more places to relax and enjoy the summer’.

As well as making bespoke party and celebration cakes herself, Ms Retallack, who runs the business with partner Chris Penk, also puts on training workshops to teach people how to bake.

A House of Cake was a return to family roots for Ms Retallack, whose great-great-grandfather owned a cake shop in Bristol in the 1800s.

She is a chef by trade but worked as a college lecturer in hospitality for the previous 23 years before opening the Wellington business, which was converted from a former vegan café premises.