03 August 2023 , 11:38
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Three Little Birds Bakery, the business at the centre of a row with former Coronation Street actress Catherine Tyldesley and a party planning company, claims they have been threatened with legal action as the fallout from a request for free cakes continues to rumble on.
On Wednesday, Catherine slammed the baker who shared her response when asked by a party planner for complimentary cakes in exchange for social media exposure and potential press coverage. Party planners NVRLND approached Three Little Birds Bakery in Keighley, West Yorkshire to offer an arrangement in exchange for free cakes for the actress' upcoming 40th birthday party.
The owner of the bakery hit back at the offer, originally saying the party planners were acting for a previously-unnamed but "well-known celebrity". It was later claimed Strictly Come Dancing star and former soap star Catherine was the unnamed star. However, in a video uploaded to her Instagram story on Wednesday, Catherine clarified she did not know the emails were being sent.
Following Catherine's social media update, Three Little Birds Bakery took to their Facebook page and penned: "Hello! We just want to reassure all our clients, both loyal and new, that your order enquiries are being worked through slowly but surely. We are incredibly psyched about all our new followers and want to emphasise that making you beautiful and delicious cakes remains our priority. That and standing up for small business and people who need to pay gas bills, obvs. Our cake counter will be open from 9.30 tomorrow."
The bakery shared an email from NVRLND requesting cakes for Catherine Tyldesley and her husband (Facebook)
The former Coronation Street says she wasn't aware of the request sent by NVRLND (INSTAGRAM)Prior to Catherine's video on Wednesday, Three Little Birds Bakery told their Facebook followers they had "been threatened with legal action by NVRLND" after sharing screenshots of emails between themselves and the party planning company. The bakery shared the original post that instigated the row when posting a new update.
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The post, shared by Three Little Birds Bakery on July 27, included two screenshots of emails with the caption: "This poor celebrity apparently can't afford to pay people for their products and services. Spare a thought! What happened to women supporting women... #exposuredoesntpaythebills #supportsmallbusinessowners #supportwomenentrepreneurs."
In the email exchange, NVRLND approached the bakery offering them the chance to create a cake with the theme of "pinks, sparkles and a touch of flamingos" as well as a second cake for Catherine's husband Tom Pitfield and 100 cupcakes in exchange for social media promotion. Catherine's birthday party is said to have promised: "A guest list full of celebrities and industry people from TV/film and music, so loads of work would come from it".
Three Little Birds' reply to NVRLND reads: "I’m so sorry to hear that your client has fallen on such hard times they can’t afford to pay small businesses their products. Unfortunately as my mortgage provider doesn’t take payment 'in the form of promotion on their socials', and my staff can’t feed their kids with exposure on Instagram, I’ll have to decline your very generous offer."
The bakery shared this post prior to Catherine's Instagram video on Wednesday (Facebook)Resharing the now viral post once again on their Facebook page on Monday [July 31], Three Little Birds Bakery wrote: "I've now been threatened with legal action by NVRLND as a response to this post which they say is encouraging defamation of their business. So in order to make sure our posts are being completely transparent and we aren't spreading false information, let me just be completely clear.
"NVRLND aren't getting paid properly either, they are also working entirely on a 'promotional and expenses only basis'. Hope that clears it up." The Mirror has approached Catherine, Three Little Birds Bakery and NVRLND for comment.
Catherine, who played Eva Price on Coronation Street until 2018, took to her Instagram account on Wednesday to address the viral post containing the emails between Three Little Birds Bakery and NVRLND. She told her 647,000 followers: "Cake gate, what! So I have no idea those emails were being sent. I'm not working with the lovely OK! Magazine on anything that I'm aware of and NVRLAND are an amazing company. They've supplied me with performers in the past. They're insane and they've been completely misrepresented in this matter. Utterly bizarre. Don't really know what to say. I mean I hope the cake lady got the exposure she was craving."
Prior to Catherine being revealed as the celebrity whose party was discussed in the emails, Leeds-based NVRLND claimed their email had been "completely misconstrued". Founder Victoria Eames said: "NVRLND contacted Three Little Birds Bakery to offer them the opportunity to collaborate with one of our clients to cater for a party. As part of the collaboration, our client would cover all of Three Little Birds Bakery’s expenses and costs in exchange for social media content and local and national exposure for their business. To confirm, NVRLND are also retained on the same expenses-only basis."
She continued as she explained they selected the Three Little Birds Bakery to help "support a local business and help them grow", before adding: "Our aim is to connect small local businesses with the opportunity of growth and the possibility of a full diary which is what we have experienced when working on past collaborations. We would never expect any business to be out of pocket and nor would our client. Our email communication to Three Little Birds has unfortunately been completely misconstrued."