Salisbury bakery scoring with World Cup themed cakes
Henderson's Artisan Bakery has been gripped by World Cup Fever
A Salisbury-bakery is aiming to score big as World Cup fever grips the city, with England seeking a second victory and passage through to the Round of 32 in North America.
Henderson's Artisan Bakery and Café is getting into the tournament spirit with its World Cup themed bakes, which are bringing the community together.
Co-owner, Steve Rich said the idea for baking tasty treats on the World Cup theme followed the Easter period, with he and business partner Martin keen for festive offerings.
This tournament is the largest ever, with 48 teams competing, meaning baking for every nation taking part was a tall order.
But after discussions with the baking team, and input from a team member's son, the store settled on special bakes for England, France, Spain, Portugal, and Steve's native South Africa.
"We came up with Victoria Sponge for England because it's got the red jam andthe white cream. For France, we came up with a chocolate brioche bun, Spain, we have lemon polenta cake, and Portugal, a custard tart. And I slipped in the South African milk tart as a fifth country," Steve said.
He admits that while South Africa's participation might not last too long, it means there is an opportunity to add in more creative bakes based on teams that are performing well or causing a surprise.
"We'll see who's in the next 32 and then see if there's some interesting country with an interesting bake at that particular moment," he said.
The additions to the menu are sparking conversation, even among those claiming not to be a football fan, with people asking which games are happening on the day they visit the bakery.
Steve told us: "Even if people don't like football, it's creating a talking point. You know, we've had lots of people say, I'm not supporting the football, but I'd like to have Victoria Sponge, and then suddenly you have a discussion about how Spain drew with Cape Verde and you're going, 'but you don't like football?'.
"It's drawing people out and we're able to have that community spirited discussion, rather than just be across a counter from somebody as a server."
While it is boosting business, Steve said the bigger aim is to bring the community together and "keep faithful" to what they're doing on a daily basis.