Pauline and her husband Michael have lived in West Auckland for 25 years – moving from Titirangi to Henderson and they currently live in Oratia. They have two adult children, Harrison and Sarah, and also share their home with family pets.  Pauline is owner, baker and creator of Grandma Jenkins Fruit Cakes.  Her cakes are rich, moist and delicious and made to an old-fashioned recipe originally created by her Great Grandmother in the early 1900’s.  As is the case with most handed down recipes, it has stood the test of time and with a little modern-day tweaking, is still a firm favourite.  The essential ingredients have remained the same however Pauline has added a little brandy to the mix as well as creating both a gluten-free and vegan variety to cater to dietary requirements.

As Pauline’s recipe originated from her Great Grandma, she has made the business all about her – there is a photo of her on the front of every cake, and if you visit one of her market stalls, she has a great photo collage and loves telling her story and reminiscing of a by-gone era.

Her main focus at TKP was refining the product itself, from recipe to packaging, and building a clearer business model for taking it to market – getting to meet and work with amazing, like-minded people was the icing on the cake.  The support and advice she received from those involved behind the scenes as well as other course participants has been invaluable.

Pauline currently sells her cakes at Titirangi and Coatesville markets on a regular basis as well as attending one-off markets – many of these are in retirement villages. The hope is to take this business to the next level, selling online and having a regular customer base of people who appreciate a fruit cake year-round, not just as a seasonal treat. 

Follow Pauline on Facebook to find out where you can pick up a delicious fruitcake.