Transporting a cake

[DeeGee]

Seriously.

I'm making one of my regular journeys to Milton Keynes, and it's a celebration and I need to transport a cake there. It'll be a bespoke celebration cake, and not just an off-the-shelf Tesco thing.

Travelling from Grimsby Town there are usually three options to get to where I need to be (Caldecotte Lake). It'll be a Friday night.

- Transpennine to Doncaster, Virgin to Kings Cross, then either Virgin or London Midland to MKC or Bletchley and a cab;

- Transpennine to Stockport or Manchester and Virgin to MKC and a cab;

- Transpennine to Sheffield, EMT to Bedford and LM to Bow Brickhill (and a short walk - although in the circumstances, transporting a cake, cab would be more likely)

Now, the challenge would be to get the cake in one piece from Grimsby to Milton Keynes. I don't want to have to drive. I'll pay up to the Off-peak Standard Any Permitted fare, so route and timing aren't an issue.

What I'm wondering is:

- Which route would be more suitable on a Friday night for the transportation of cake? I'm erring on the side of Grimsby-Stockport-Milton Keynes because I think fewer changes is the way forward;

- Does anyone have any tips in terms of how best to carry this cake, whether to book any particular sort of seat? I'm guessing that I want to be booking a table if that's possible.

Additionally I've been offered a lift from Birmingham New Street. Would that be a better bet?

I know it's an odd question, thanks in advance for any hints you can offer.

 

[telstarbox]

Can you give rough dimensions for the cake?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Transporting anything valuable and fragile on TPE is a risk at any time of day...

The first thing that came to mind was this, though:

https://youtu.be/WwylBRucU7w

 

[DeeGee]

Can you give rough dimensions for the cake?

Twelve inch square?

 

[me123]

I'll need some more information, can you please arrange to send me samples of the cake?

For when I have to transport cakes, I have a cake container that I bought from Morrisons. I can't find that one online, but it seems that Tesco do something similar. Haven't taken it on a train, though, but it works just fine in cars and taxis. Usually fits nicely in one of the larger supermarket bags. It has plenty of space, although a multi-tiered wedding cake wouldn't fit.

I would recommend booking a table to place the cake on, as of course the cake needs to be kept "right side up" for the whole journey. Of course, other people may want to use the table for work/food, and they're entitled to do so. If that's the case, the container should fit comfortably onto your lap - there should be enough room to do this in airline style seating too.

Carrying a cake can be quite tricky, because as I've said already you'll want to keep it flat. If you have lots of other luggage, it becomes quite difficult to carry on and off trains so I would absolutely aim to minimise transfers. The one-change option at Stockport is probably the best. Again, carrying it flat means that you're essentially carrying a platter - so a cab would best for the walks. But it should be perfectly possible.

 

[rebmcr]

Advance First on TPE might be best, depending on cost.

Table seats C01 & C02 in standard on a Pendolino are across from the TM's office and are effectively 1+0, so you would have plenty of space (including behind the next row of 2+2 seats that back on to C02).

Would recommend against a KX-Euston transfer for obvious reasons!

 

[Romilly]

The key factor is to ensure that the cake is firmly attached (by icing) to a cake board that extends beyond the iced cake by a couple of cms on each side.

The cake on its cakeboard then needs to be put carefully in a box (whether an upside-down plastic food box, or a cardboard box) that is not too much bigger than the cakeboard (and is tall enough for the decorated cake!).

Carry the boxed cake in a large flat-bottomed carrier bag. Don't carry anything else in the same hand.

Then the chances are that the mode of transportation is irrelevant.

 

[philjo]

What sort of cake is it?
Fruit cakes should be no problem if well wrapped. I have posted (uniced) christmas cakes to elderly relatives and they arrive in one piece via royal mail

For some others - e.g chocolate etc - the temperature during transit may be more of an issue and would also need to be kept flat.

 

[DeeGee]

I believe it will be an iced sponge cake.

 

[319321]

This beats my thread in the oddness scale about how to microwave a timetable by a merry mile!

 

[DarloRich]

book table seats all the way with limited changes - get a cab from MK to Caldecotte ( assume the Windmill pub)

make sure the cake is boxed and then put into a big carrier bag with good handles.

 

[rebmcr]

This beats my thread in the oddness scale about how to microwave a timetable by a merry mile!

You can't just mention that without providing a link...!

 

[Bletchleyite]

book table seats all the way with limited changes - get a cab from MK to Caldecotte ( assume the Windmill pub)

For avoidance of confusion said pub is called "The Caldecotte Arms" even though it indeed does feature a windmill.

Bow Brickhill would be awkward for a cab. Plenty of black cabs available at MKC, sometimes a few at Bletchley but if not you can call a private hire one for cheaper. Skyline seem to me the most reliable one but all are OK. They have a booking app if you prefer. And there is the odd Uber around sometimes.

It's chronically overcrowded TPE that would worry me, but there seems to be no avoiding it. Kings Cross to Euston wouldn't worry me, you can always taxi (or bus) that.

 

[DeeGee]

For avoidance of confusion said pub is called "The Caldecotte Arms" even though it indeed does feature a windmill.

Indeed it is.

Bow Brickhill would be awkward for a cab. Plenty of black cabs available at MKC, sometimes a few at Bletchley but if not you can call a private hire one for cheaper. Skyline seem to me the most reliable one but all are OK. They have a booking app if you prefer. And there is the odd Uber around sometimes.

I have managed to get a Private Hire from Bow Brickhill before. He waited in the little gated area on the opposite side of the road from the Bedford-Bletchley platform. Managed to book in advance on the Eezy cabs app as I was told they'd be shutting the kitchen early at the pub. Not the most intuitive thing to do, though.

It's chronically overcrowded TPE that would worry me, but there seems to be no avoiding it. Kings Cross to Euston wouldn't worry me, you can always taxi (or bus) that.

I haven't yet have an issue from Grimsby Town, and could always go from Cleethorpes instead, but the train does fill up nicely through the Hope Valley and it could indeed be fun. I'd hope that having a table AND a window might just help out. Or perhaps in first if I can get an advance?

 

[319321]

This beats my thread in the oddness scale about how to microwave a timetable by a merry mile!

Microwaving a National Timetable Book

A moderator added to 'to unbind the pages' to my thread title, which was much more clickbaity.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Sorry, I meant to quote the person asking for a link.