Whether it’s from passing his stall on Coppinger Row, seeing his trademark blue box in Fresh or treating yourself to his brownies, cupcakes and scones in various coffee shops across the city, The Cupcake Bloke has become a household name in Dublin. From his decadent brownies to his distinctive cupcakes, The Cupcake Bloke offers a unique twist on classic desserts.
Graham Herterich is the mastermind behind the company who, alongside his partner, Daithi Kelleher, founded The Cupcake Bloke in 2012 after both becoming redundant. With Herterich’s culinary training and Kelleher’s background in marketing, they decided to start The Cupcake Bloke together. “So I said I’d try it for the year, if it works out for the year, we’ll keep going with it. If it doesn’t work out, I’d have a year of trying something I’d always wanted to do”, Herterich explains. It’s been five years since they opened their wholesale business, selling to Dublin-based, independent coffee shops, and four years since they opened their stall on Coppinger Row, and there is no sign of business slowing down.
Herterich highlights the involvement of his brother, sister and partner as one of his favourite elements of the company. “I never dreamt that when I set up the business it would actually become a family business. I’m a gay man, I was never going to have children, but I’ve created this family business. My husband works with with me, my sister works with me, my brother who has special needs, he’s working with me.” His brother and sister both work with him in the Smithfield-based kitchen, while you’ll find Kelleher working on the stand and managing the business aspects, like invoices and answering emails, alongside Herterich. Herterich has the distinct opportunity to build a brand and business surrounded by and with the support of his family, and it is these unexpected elements of his work that offer him the most enjoyment.
The pair took an active role in the marriage equality campaign, from selling themed cupcakes on the stand to providing the celebratory cake in Dublin Castle on May 22nd
Another favourite part of the job, Herterich explains, is catering for weddings. He only does one wedding per week so he can be involved in every step of the process, from designing the cake to being there on the day. Two years ago, Herterich and Kelleher married on the fourth anniversary of their civil partnership, a year after the marriage equality referendum passed. The pair took an active role in the marriage equality campaign, from selling themed cupcakes on the stand to providing the celebratory cake in Dublin Castle on May 22nd. “It was an issue that was so close to our hearts”, he says, and this is echoed through their advocacy. They also support the Emerald Warriors, Dublin’s LGBT rugby club, and BeLonGTo, a charity that offers talks and workshops on homophobia and transphobia in secondary schools across the country.
The Cupcake Bloke has several exciting collaborations coming up in 2017, the details of which will remain secret until they are officially announced. “I’m giving over complete design to somebody else of cupcakes. They’re actually going to design the cupcakes. I’ll advise them on how we do it. They will have complete control over the box, the colour of the box, the packaging, the flavours, what colour fondant goes on top, what kind of buttercream goes on top”, he divulges, but the exact details won’t be announced until later in the year. In the past, the company has worked with exciting local businesses and events. For example, The Cupcake Bloke collaborated with Open Gate Brewery for Taste of Dublin 2016, where the theme was “when a baker met a brewer”. The creations were beer-inspired, fusing baked goods with the brewed beverage, such as a Hop House 13 cupcake. Impressively, their earl grey, cranberry and orange tea brack, which used Clement and Pekoe’s tea leaves, won gold at the Blas na hÉireann, or the Irish Food Awards, in 2016.
When asked how much time Herterich spends testing out new flavours in his kitchen, he responds with a laugh and says: “Look at this belly – a good bit!” Testing and trying out new variations on timeless desserts is key in keeping customers interested and coming back. He highlights the importance of looking at food trends, offering black foods as a more recent example of a food that is considered in vogue. Last year, The Cupcake Bloke undertook a cupcake challenge, where a new and unique flavour was released every week for 52 weeks. This year, however, The Cupcake Bloke is centering its baked goods around a monthly theme. The theme this month is Scandinavian-inspired – hygge, a Danish word that refers to comfort and the celebration of small pleasures, an appropriate start to to the new year. You’ll find comforting cinnamon rolls, decadent Daim bar cookies and Princess Tarta-inspired cupcakes at the stall this month, alongside the regulars – chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, Oreo, coffee and raspberry-flavoured cupcakes.
Collaborations, new stalls and a presence at events like Taste of Dublin are guaranteed to attract new audiences and keep loyal customers returning
Having already set up a new stall at the Ha’Penny Vintage and Craft Market at The Grand Social earlier this year, Herterich hopes to expand the business and brand. He elaborates: “We were kind of talking about it on New Year’s Eve … what our resolutions for the business for next year and it’s just to get people to see us in different ways, whether it be in a retail space or in a pop-up event or at a different festival or at a different market. For people to see us in more ways than what they’re used to at the moment.” Collaborations, new stalls and a presence at events like Taste of Dublin are guaranteed to attract new audiences and keep loyal customers returning.
On every box of cupcakes, you’ll find a sticker that says “creating and supplying funky, fresh and fabulous cupcakes and bakes”. No one can deny that this is exactly what Herterich achieves with every single batch.
You can find The Cupcake Bloke at his stall on Coppinger Row on Thursdays and Fridays from 9.30am to 4.30pm and Saturdays from 9.30am to 3.30pm and at the Ha’Penny Vintage and Craft Market on Saturdays from 12pm to 6pm.
