Last year CHUF (Children’s Heart Unit Fund) launched the #WearYourHeartOnYourSleeve campaign which saw local companies donning our limited-edition t-shirts, wearing red on zoom calls, lighting up the Millennium Bridge and helping to raise awareness of our work with Heart Heroes.

It also saw some talented local bakeries using their sweet treats to spread smiles and raise funds for CHUF. We’re delighted to announce that in addition to Cake Stories, Dreamworld Cakes and Sweet and Fair who were involved in the first initiative of this kind last year, Le Mini Macaron has joined #TeamCHUF and will be wearing their heart on their sleeve throughout February!

Cake Stories began with North-East couple Hannah and Ben opening their cake and coffee shop in Jesmond, 2015. Despite the pandemic they expanded and now run a second premises at trendy Hoult’s Yard in Byker. In addition to their Newcastle-based coffee shops, the company’s online site allows customers to send tasty treats to loved ones all over the country with their letterbox bakes. Co-owner Hannah told B-daily: “Cake Stories has always been about connecting people- bringing proper lush food to brilliant people.” 

With this sentiment in mind their brownie boxes supporting CHUF will hopefully encourage customers get behind Heart Month and show the UK Heart community that they are right behind them. Ben added: “We loved being involved in CHUF’s National Heart Month campaign last year; raising funds for such a worthy cause through sales of our Whole Lotta Love brownie boxes. We were thrilled to be asked again this year and will be donating £1 for each of our special Valentines brownie boxes purchased in February.”

You can order your Heart Month brownies here: https://shop.cakestories.com/  or pick up a box directly from either of the Cake Stories cafes in Jesmond (Brentwood Avenue) or Byker (Hoult’s Yard).

Ouseburn’s Dreamworld Cakes Patisserie has also stepped up to wear their hearts on their sleeve for a second year running. Last year the pâtissiers created a limited-edition rhubarb and custard cream choux pastry and donated all the profits from the sales of this Heart Month Special to CHUF. Bake Off- The Professionals finalists Bernadett and Richard Szucs, are an award-winning husband and wife team renowned for their beautiful celebration cakes and handcrafted continental creations.

They got involved with the campaign last year saying: “As parents ourselves, we knew right away that we wanted to work with the Children’s Heart Unit Fund. Strangely enough, we discovered that one of our staff members was born with a heart condition and had benefitted from the charity’s support up at the unit years before. The more you speak to people, the more you realise how common heart problems are. It was a no-brainer for us to be involved again this year!”

Once again Dreamworld Cakes will be offering a limited-edition sweet treat to their array of desserts and will donate the profits of this bake to CHUF. They offer a click and collect service for orders of the Heart Month special made on their online shop here: https://www.dreamworldcakes.co.uk/shop

Alternatively, the bijoux patisserie located at 3 Stepney Bank, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 2NP will be open for members of the public to pop in and buy their goodies from Wednesday to Sunday. Please check the website for opening hours and further details on the Heart Month special.

Sweet and Fair baker Abby Whitbread moved to the region nearly a decade ago; fueled by insights from her studies in nutrition and travels to Bangladesh and Madagascar Abby’s home-run business has always had social and environmental issues at it’s heart. Focusing on fresh local and ethical ingredients and producers, as well as offering healthy inclusions to many of her usual bake boxes Sweet and Fair prides itself on supporting good causes.

Abby explained: “Throughout the year Sweet and Fair normally supports charities related to food security and poverty, but when we heard about heart month CHUF felt like the perfect charity partner for our Valentine’s treats. We’re delighted to be able to support them again this year and hope our small contribution will help put some smiles on children’s faces and the many hardworking people involved in their care.”

Sweet and Fair is running a special Valentine’s promotion of treat boxes for one or two. 10% from the sales of these boxes will be donated to CHUF. Treat boxes include: Fondant heart biscuits, Red velvet cupcakes, Biscoff rocky road hearts, passionfruit macarons, triple choc brownie fingers and Sour Cherry dark chocolate heart. If that isn’t enough- there’s even the option to add scones!

Finally, CHUF welcomes Le Mini Macaron to the Heart Month fold. The local family-run macaron business has been providing their French-inspired meringue confections to sweet-toothed locals for over seven years. The mother and daughter duo even supply Fenwick’s Food Hall with their classic macaron boxes.

Le Mini Macaron will be supporting CHUF this Heart Month through the sales of their Valentines boxes of heart–shaped macarons, donating £1 from each sale to the charity. In addition to ordering these delightful colourful mini bites for loved ones (or yourself) online, and having them delivered to anywhere in the country, customers can pop down to see Joanne and Gillian in person at Newcastle’s Quayside Market each Sunday 9am-4pm or catch them on the 1^st and 3^rd Saturday of the Month at Jesmond Food Market on Armstrong Bridge.

Joanne said, “We’re really excited to be wearing our heart on our sleeve this February in support of CHUF. After we spoke with Alicia from the charity, we immediately began thinking about what delicious flavours we could include in our Heart Month special boxes. We hope that they’ll be really popular, and that together we can help to raise awareness of Heart Month!”

CHUF’s Corporate and Trusts Fundraising Manager Alicia said: “Against the odds Northeast businesses have demonstrated stalwart commitment to their local communities; adapting to provide customers with what they need throughout the pandemic.  

 

CHUF’s #WearYourHeartOnYourSleeve campaign offers us all the chance to have triple the impact allowing us to a) highlight Northeast talent without detracting from what they do best, b) help support the local economy and c) raise awareness of Heart conditions. All this, whilst raising much-needed funds so we can continue to provide specialist equipment, staffing and holistic services that benefit Heart Families when they need it most. We’re absolutely thrilled that these wonderful bakers are wearing their hearts on their sleeves and have chosen to work in partnership with CHUF this Heart Month.”

As well as encouraging supporters to buy their treats from one of the participating bakeries throughout February CHUF is urging companies to get their staff involved in Heart Month activity year on year. Businesses wishing to find out how, can speak to CHUF’s Corporate and Trusts Fundraising Manager Alicia on 07702491647 or by emailing: info@chuf.org.uk

Alternatively, businesses can check out The Heart Month page on CHUF’s website for resources and ideas on getting involved: www.chuf.org.uk/getinvolved/heartmonth-2022

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