We chat to Frances Quinn, creator, collaborator and friend to Cecily Cane…

Tell us about you.

I’m a 6ft tall creative! Probably best known for winning GBBO back in 2013 via all things Giant Sandwich Cakes, Match Boxes of breadsticks and a certain Secret Squirrel cake…But before winning the Great British Bake Off, I was a baby toddler designer for Joules as my background was in design. I studied Textile Design with a focus on print and illustration at Nottingham Trent University. I then travelled and worked for design companies in Vancouver, Canada and London, UK. After winning GBBO, I published my first book Quinntessential Baking, with Bloomsbury and have worked with a diverse range of clients from the Tate, Design Museum, Sony Music, BBC, Fortnum & Masons, M&S, Cadburys, Yeo Valley, Sipsmith, Bloom & Wild, and Nike to name but a few. My creative process always starts or ends with an idea, design, or concept. In fact it’s the impact, response and experiences created through designing that is, for me, what I find the most inspiring.

What excites you about Cecily Cane?

Where do I start? Firstly I love the choice of products and how the curated nature is like a pic n mix of confectionary for grown ups! Choosing the products is as joyful as receiving them for both the giver and receiver. I’ve loved learning more about some of my favourite brands while discovering new independent and artisan ones too. For me Cecily Cane is the confectionery equivalent of Glassette, which is the one stop shop for all things home and interior and a favourite brand of mine. I look forward to both Cecily Cane and Glassette’s websites tabs being open in unison together!

What has been your design process for Cecily Cane?

It started by sitting down with Sukey and talking through the concept and inspiration behind the brand while looking at designs and aesthetics that we both felt fed into this story. I created several Pinterest boards which Sukey and I had access to, which helped to inform and share our thoughts. I then pulled together mood boards of imagery and ideas to help focus the brands identity. Both logo and colour palette went through several creative stages and it’s so interesting now looking back at how many of our initial ideas have influenced Cecily Cane’s final brand identity. The colour palette always had a culinary and confectionery influence and am especially fond of the names Nougat and Cocoa Ash used to christen the chocolate charcoal brown shade. I also suggested that the mid green colour within the palette should be called ‘Laurel’ after Sukey’s youngest daughter. Which seemed fitting as her eldest daughter, Cecily, is the inspiration behind the brands name itself!