Start with the occasion, date, and guest experience
The best first step is not choosing a flavour. It is writing down what the gathering needs to feel like. Is this a Thanksgiving dinner, a family open house, an office celebration, a school or community event, a host gift, or several smaller visits over a holiday week? The answer will guide the format, quantity, packaging, and handoff plan.
Before you contact us, note the event date, serving time, venue, estimated guest count, and whether dessert is the main attraction or one part of a larger meal. Also note whether guests will be seated, moving around, or taking treats home. A cake that works beautifully for a dinner table may be less convenient than individually portioned cupcakes or cake pops at an open house.
- Event date and serving time
- Guest count and approximate age range
- Venue and access details
Choose the product format before narrowing the design
Bake Sale Toronto’s public catalogue includes cakes, cupcakes, cookies, custom sugar cookies, cake pops, macarons, squares, scones, gifts, ice cream cakes, and pints. You can begin with the full catalogue, then compare the formats that best match your gathering.
A cake creates a shared centrepiece and gives the host a clear serving moment. Cupcakes reduce cutting and plating, while cookies, cake pops, macarons, squares, and scones can work well for grazing tables, office kitchens, gift baskets, or take-home portions. Ice cream cakes may suit a celebration where freezer space and serving arrangements are already understood.
Estimate quantity with a simple planning calculation
You do not need a perfect mathematical model to prepare a useful bakery enquiry. Start with the number of guests, then decide whether everyone is expected to have one portion or whether dessert will be shared with other sweets.
For individually portioned treats, use this basic calculation: expected portions = guests × planned portions per guest. If 18 people are attending and you plan one cupcake each, your starting estimate is 18 portions. If the gathering includes children, a long open-house window, or several dessert choices, you may want to discuss how the mix changes the quantity rather than simply ordering the same number of every item.
Prepare customization and personalization details
The public FAQ says customization is available for cupcakes, cakes, and cake pops, with current details confirmed by staff. We recommend sending a concise creative brief rather than a long list of possibilities.
Include the occasion, preferred colours, wording, theme, date, product format, and any reference images or general design direction you have. If the design is flexible, say so. If the wording must be exact, type it carefully and identify capitalization, names, dates, and punctuation.
Ask careful questions about allergens and dietary needs
Allergen questions deserve direct, specific communication. Bake Sale Toronto’s public FAQ states that the bakery is not nut free and cannot guarantee products are free of nuts or other allergens. We do not describe our products as allergen-free or suitable for a dietary restriction without confirmation.
When contacting us, identify the allergen or dietary concern plainly and ask what information is available for the specific product. Do not rely only on a product name, decoration, or photograph. Ask whether the item has ingredient information, whether the requested customization changes the product, and what the bakery can and cannot confirm.
Plan pickup, delivery, storage, and serving together
A bakery order is not finished when it leaves the counter. Decide where it will go next, who will receive it, and how it will be stored until serving. Review our pickup and delivery policies, then contact us to confirm the current arrangements, availability, and any event-specific details.
For pickup, choose a person who can keep the order level, protected, and out of direct heat. Clear space in the vehicle before leaving. For delivery, provide the complete address, access instructions, contact name, phone number, and a handoff plan. A condo concierge, office reception desk, or venue loading area may require details that are easy to miss.
Use this five-minute bakery enquiry checklist
A clear enquiry saves back-and-forth and gives us the information needed to respond usefully. Copy this checklist into your notes before contacting Bake Sale Toronto.
Before contacting the bakery, write down the event date, serving time, venue, estimated guest count, and whether dessert will be the main feature or part of a larger menu. Note whether guests will be seated, moving around, or taking treats home, then identify the product formats you want to discuss and the approximate portions needed. Include any preferred colours, theme, wording, names, dates, or reference images, and clearly mark details that must be exact. List every allergen or dietary question separately. Bake Sale Toronto is not a nut-free facility and cannot guarantee that products are free of nuts or other allergens, so ask what can be confirmed for the specific item rather than relying on its name or appearance. For pickup, record who will collect the order, the vehicle plan, and how the item will stay level, protected, and appropriately chilled. For delivery, provide the complete address, access instructions, contact name, phone number, and handoff location. Toronto Public Health and Health Canada advise keeping cold foods cold during transport and service, so confirm refrigerator, freezer, cooler, or cold-pack space before ordering. Finally, identify which choices are flexible and use the contact page to confirm current availability, customization, pickup, and delivery details.
Practical tools from this guide
The four-question format test
For each product format, ask: Does it fit the gathering? Is it easy to serve? Can it be stored and transported appropriately? Does it provide the personalization you want?
A simple portion estimate
For individual treats, start with guests × planned portions per guest. For a mixed dessert table, divide total planned portions by the number of formats. Treat the result as a conversation starter, not a guarantee.
Key takeaways
- Begin with the occasion, guest count, venue, and serving style.
- Choose the product format before planning the decoration.
- Use a simple portion estimate, then confirm product-specific details with the bakery.
- Ask direct questions about allergens and dietary concerns; never assume a product is allergen-free or suitable for a restriction.
- Review pickup and delivery policies and plan storage before ordering.
Explore our cakes, cupcakes, cookies, cake pops, squares, scones, gifts, and celebration options, or contact us for help choosing the right fit and confirming pickup or delivery details.
Related resources
- current catalogue
- cake collection
- cupcake collection
- cake-pop collection
- contact page
- pickup and delivery policies
Sources
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Holiday food safety
Health Canada - 2018-12-18 -
Food Shopping and Storage
City of Toronto, Toronto Public Health - 2018-01-01 -
Serving Food
City of Toronto, Toronto Public Health - 2018-01-01 -
Industry resource: food allergen labelling
Canadian Food Inspection Agency - 2026-02-06 -
List of ingredients and allergens on food labels
Canadian Food Inspection Agency - 2026-02-06