My life has been shaped by cakes, the ones baked by my father in our family’s tea shop, Peter’s, in Weybridge. For over forty years Peter Johncox made cakes, big and small, of all shapes and sizes; birthday cakes, wedding cakes, cream cakes, fancy cakes, plain sponges. He baked bread most days and handcrafted homemade chocolates all year round. In April 2012, twelve years after the tea shop closed when Dad retired, he died in a hospice, just around the corner from the shop. This loss was shattering for my family. But I soon discovered that it wasn’t just the family who missed my father. The local community also mourned the baker, who, over the years had turned a simple tea shop into a welcoming home from home for all those who walked through the doors. This book is both a lament for my father and a celebration of cakes. It is a story of loss and discovery.
