Regnier Cakes

07/09/2026

2023… THE YEAR I PUT MYSELF OUT THERE.

After three years of fight-or-flight mode, 2023 was about rebuilding.

Rebuilding Regnier Cakes. Building Events on Citrus as a name. And trying just about everything to see what worked.

Social media said video, video, video, so I videoed EVERYTHING.

Every cake. Every creation. Every setup.

Thousands of hours of content, photoshoots, new cake designs and styled shoots showing what could be created.

I did farmers’ markets, collaborated with other businesses and said yes to opportunities that could help get both businesses seen again.

But there was also a much bigger shift happening.

After 12 years of putting my heart and soul into wedding cakes, I started stepping away from them.

I didn’t want to spend my life in the car delivering all over Melbourne anymore. I wanted to build something strong right here in my local community.

Regnier Cakes became easier to order online, while more of my energy went into building the event space, collaborations and local celebrations.

There were plenty of highs, plenty of lows and usually about 100 things happening in the kitchen at once.

But 2023 taught me to put myself out there, try things, take risks and work out what I actually wanted to keep building.

I didn’t know it yet, but I was getting ready to take some much bigger and scarier steps.

15 years of Regnier Cakes | The best of 2023

06/09/2026

2022… THE LOST YEAR.

Coming out of COVID, nothing felt the same.

Events weren’t the same. Weddings weren’t the same. Trends had changed, people were hesitant to book and nobody really knew what the industry was going to look like next.

So 2022 became a year of trial and error.

I experimented with new designs, new ideas and new ways of working out what Regnier Cakes could look like after the lockdown years.

It was the year of my first vintage cakes, a style that went on to become my biggest seller and still is today.

It was also the year I started filming online tutorials, learning a whole new world of video, technology and creating content online.

The online store kept ticking along with kids’ cakes, while weddings were almost nonexistent.

And finally, we started hosting our first high teas, parties and events in the new space, the space that would become Events on Citrus.

Looking back, I spent a lot of that year helping others rebuild rather than putting the same energy into myself and my own business.

So yes, I still call 2022 the lost year.

But maybe it wasn’t completely lost.

I was experimenting, learning and planting little seeds that I didn’t yet realise would become a big part of what came next.

15 years of Regnier Cakes | The best of 2022

05/09/2026

THE COVID YEARS | 2020 + 2021

Where do you even start with these two years?

Weddings and events were cancelled overnight. Everything went online. There were 5km lockdowns, snap lockdowns and rules that could change with hours’ notice.

At the same time, I was moving Regnier Cakes, building new premises and somehow finding the money to build a full commercial kitchen and create a future for the business.

Thank goodness I had already built my online store.

When events disappeared, it became a lifeline.

Perishable ingredients had to be used. Half-made cakes for weekend events had to become something else. Orders were brought forward with hours’ notice before snap lockdowns. We created, changed, delivered and did whatever we could to look after our clients and keep money coming through the door.

There was no real plan because you couldn’t plan.

It was working seven days a week just to keep your head above water while trying to build what came next.

They were some of the toughest years I’ve experienced in business.

But somehow, amongst all that chaos, Regnier Cakes kept going.

And a completely new chapter was being built at the same time.

15 years of Regnier Cakes | The COVID Years, 2020 + 2021

04/09/2026

2019… THE YEAR I HAD TO LET GO OF ONE DREAM.

At the beginning of 2019, I made one of the hardest decisions I’d had to make in business.

I closed the café.

Having my own cake shop and café had been a lifelong dream, but financially it couldn’t continue. Making that decision was incredibly hard. Telling my staff was even harder.

But Regnier Cakes continued.

The weddings, high teas, events, cakes and desserts were all still growing.

It was also the year I built out my full collection of kids’ themed birthday cakes on the online shop, making it easier for people to order.

I didn’t know it then, but that online shop would become an absolute lifeline very soon.

By the end of 2019, the building had been sold and my lease was coming to an end.

It was time to start looking for a new home and thinking about what the next version of Regnier Cakes could become.

And then came 2020…

15 years of Regnier Cakes | The best of 2019

03/09/2026

02/09/2026

2018… THE YEAR I WAS TRYING TO MAKE ALL THE PIECES FIT.

By 2018, Regnier Cakes had become a lot more than me simply making cakes.

The café was open, weddings were still a huge part of the business, dessert buffets were growing, I had staff to manage and there were a lot of moving parts to juggle.

This was also the year I really started building the online cake collection.

I wanted to make ordering a cake easier.

Kids’ cakes became a big focus, with designs people could choose from rather than having to start from scratch every time. Customers could come into the shop and order, but increasingly they could jump online and order too.

And then there were the trends!

Donut towers really started taking off, giving people another fun alternative to the traditional celebration cake and becoming another thing we could create and make our own.

At the same time, I was looking at how else we could use the shop.

So along came High Tea at Regnier Cakes.

People could book a table, come into the shop and enjoy a proper high tea filled with cakes, pastries and desserts.

Then came the High Tea Garden, giving us another space for groups, celebrations and functions.

So I was doing a bit of everything.

Café.
Online cakes.
Kids’ cakes.
Donut towers.
Weddings.
Dessert buffets.
High teas.
Functions.
Staff.

And trying to make all of it work together.

Looking back, I don’t think 2018 was the year I had worked out where Regnier Cakes was going.

It was the year I was trying different ways to grow it.

Some of those ideas became a huge part of the business for years. Others taught me what wasn’t working.

And amongst all that juggling, the celebrations, high teas, desserts and events were quietly showing me another direction.

I just didn’t know how important that would become yet.

15 years of Regnier Cakes | The best of 2018

01/09/2026

2017… THE YEAR I OPENED THE DOORS TO MY DREAM.

For as long as I can remember, I wanted my own cake shop.

And in 2017, I finally opened Regnier Cakes to the public.

After years of working from behind the scenes, suddenly there was a shopfront, a café, customers walking through the door and the chance to actually share what I had created with people every day.

It was exciting.

But wow, did I have a lot to learn.

I wasn’t just the baker and pastry chef anymore.

I was managing a café, staff, customers, stock, rosters and all the everyday things that come with opening your doors to the public.

At the same time, Regnier Cakes was still incredibly busy with weddings and celebrations, and those clients had always had my full attention.

Suddenly, that attention had to be split.

Looking back now, 2017 taught me something that has probably taken me years to fully understand.

Getting the thing you’ve always dreamed about doesn’t necessarily mean that’s where you’re meant to stay.

The cake shop was absolutely part of my dream.

I needed to open it.
I needed to experience it.
And I needed everything it was about to teach me.

Because the next few years would completely change where Regnier Cakes was heading.

15 years of Regnier Cakes | The best of 2017

31/08/2026

2016… THIS WAS THE YEAR I REALLY STARTED STYLING THE WHOLE PICTURE.

By 2016, it wasn’t just about what was sitting on the cake board anymore.

I was creating luxe dessert tables, styling photoshoots, making some pretty epic hanging cakes and really starting to think about how every element worked together.

The cake.
The desserts.
The flowers.
The colours.
The styling.
The whole table.

This was also the year I started creating cheese and dessert buffets, combining beautiful cheeses with handmade desserts and styling it all together.

Funny looking back now when grazing tables are absolutely everywhere!

And behind the scenes, something pretty exciting was happening too.

Work had started on building the Regnier Cakes shop.

Looking through 2016 now, I can really see my pastry chef skills and creative side starting to merge.

I wasn’t interested in just making a cake.

Give me a theme, a colour, a flavour or an idea and I wanted to build something around it.

Ten years later, that’s probably the part of Regnier Cakes I’m finding myself drawn back to most.

Creating something beautiful, making the desserts properly, and having the freedom to bring the whole idea to life.

15 years of Regnier Cakes | The best of 2016

28/08/2026

2015… THE WEDDING YEARS WERE WELL AND TRULY HERE.

By 2015, Regnier Cakes had grown.

I had my shop, the dessert buffets were growing, and weddings had become a huge part of what I was creating.

And there were a LOT of wedding cakes.

Tiered cakes, flowers, different textures, different styles, dessert tables and plenty of very long days getting everything finished and out the door.

But what I love looking back on now is seeing the skill behind it all.

Every cake was different. Every couple had their own style. And every week meant working out how to bring all those ideas together while still making sure what was underneath everything actually tasted good.

Because I’ve always been a pastry chef and baker first.

The decorating styles have changed enormously over the years, but the recipes, the ingredients, the hands and the skill behind them have always mattered to me.

And 2015 was certainly a year where those hands got plenty of practice!

Looking back through these photos now, I can see Regnier Cakes becoming so much more established.

The little cake business I started in 2011 was growing up.

15 years of Regnier Cakes | The best of 2015

27/08/2026

2014… I THINK THIS WAS THE YEAR REGNIER CAKES REALLY STARTED TO BECOME ME. 💛

This was a big year.

I got my shop.
I had my own space and somewhere I could really start pushing what Regnier Cakes could become.

It was the year I created my hanging cakes, taking a beautiful wedding cake and suspending it from above, surrounded by flowers and styling so the cake became a centrepiece of the whole room.

And it was also the year I started creating dessert buffets.

The cake was still the hero, but around it came desserts created specifically for the couple. Their favourite flavours, their colours, their wedding style, all brought together on one table.

Looking back now, this was where my pastry chef skills and my creative side really started coming together.

It wasn’t just cake anymore.

It was cake, pastry, flavour, styling and creating something specifically for the celebration in front of me.

And there’s something quite interesting about looking back at 2014 now.

Because 12 years later, as I work out what the next chapter of Regnier Cakes looks like, I keep coming back to this.

The freedom to be given an idea and create.

The desserts.

The pastry.

The beautiful cake in the middle of it all.

Maybe the next chapter isn’t about finding something completely new.

Maybe it’s about coming back to the part I loved all along. 💛

15 years of Regnier Cakes | The best of 2014

25/08/2026

BEFORE REGNIER CAKES, THERE WAS A WHOLE LOT OF FLOUR… 👩‍🍳

Regnier Cakes might be turning 15, but my story with food started long before 2011.

I started my apprenticeship in 1998, training the old-school way as a baker, and pastry chef learning not just how to follow a recipe, but how ingredients actually work.

Bread, pastry, chocolate, desserts, cakes, savoury food… it all became part of my skill set.

And I think that training is one of the biggest reasons Regnier Cakes has lasted 15 years.

Trends have come and gone.
Cake styles have completely changed.
Social media changed how we sell.
And my own business has evolved more times than I can count.

But underneath it all, I’m still a chef.

That foundation eventually took me far beyond making cakes and into catering, private dining, styling, events and creating Events on Citrus | Event Venue Melbourne .

Funny when you look back and realise all those skills you learnt years ago were preparing you for something you hadn’t even thought of yet.

15 years of Regnier Cakes | 2011–2026 🎂
Photos from best of 2013

And there is still plenty more of the story to come…

23/08/2026

LET’S GO BACK TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN… 🎂

15 years ago, Regnier Cakes began.

But my love of baking started long before that.

I was already a trained baker, pastry chef and chef, with years of experience behind me. Regnier Cakes became the place where I could take all of that knowledge and start creating something of my own.

And wow, cakes looked different back then! 😂

There were different trends, different techniques and definitely different photography. No perfect Instagram feeds or beautifully styled photos, just lots of cake, hard work and learning how to build a business along the way.

Looking through these old photos has reminded me just how much I’ve made, learnt and changed over the past 15 years.

Some things have changed enormously.

But one thing hasn’t.

Everything has always been made with a respect for the ingredients, the craft and the celebration it was created for.

And this was only the beginning. 💛

15 years of Regnier Cakes | 2011–2026
The best of 2012

20/08/2026

15 YEARS… HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? 🎂✨

On the 9th of September, Regnier Cakes turns 15 years old.

15 years of cakes.
Thousands and thousands of celebrations.
So many trends, changes, challenges, long days, early mornings and incredible memories.

And when I look back at where Regnier Cakes started compared to where I am today, it’s actually pretty amazing how much has changed.

What started with cakes eventually grew into catering, styling, events and, of course, Events on Citrus | Event Venue Melbourne

So over the next few weeks, I’m going to take you back through some of it.

The old cakes. The wedding years. The trends I probably never want to see again 😂. The celebrations. The behind-the-scenes moments. And probably a few photos that should have stayed buried deep in Facebook!

Because before I look at where Regnier Cakes is heading next, I think it’s worth celebrating everything that got me here.

15 years of Regnier Cakes. Let’s go back to where it all began. 2011 💛

18/08/2026

If Someday to Today has been on your Someday list, this is the week to turn it into Today. 💖
 
If you’ve been thinking about coming, meaning to book, waiting to decide... maybe this is your sign to stop waiting.
 
One day. An incredible room of women.
Real stories. Big conversations. Plenty of fun. 🎉
 
And a whole lot of courage to finally take that thing you’ve been saying someday to... and make it today.
 
🎟️ ** Early Bird tickets end this Friday. **
 
Someday to Today

📍FRI 9 October · Roxy’s Venue, South Melbourne Roxy’s | MAISON DE CÉLÉBRATION
 
🔗 Tickets via link in bio. Or at my website kimpayne.com.au/event

Your future self will thank you 💝

18/08/2026

A little twist on our usual vintage cake 🖤❤️

This one was all about murder mystery, with dramatic black and red styling to match the event.

And a little reminder that Regnier Cakes ordering has changed.

After almost 15 years serving Bayside, I’ve made the decision to pull back on the number of cake orders I take. I simply can’t do everything, and our catering and events now take priority.

🍰 Cake orders now require a minimum of 3 weeks’ notice
🍰 Availability is limited each week, so please don’t leave ordering until the last minute
🍰 If you book catering or host your event at our venue, we can create a Regnier Cakes cake to complement your event

Regnier Cakes has always been a premium, handmade brand, and keeping it that way means taking fewer orders and giving each one the time it deserves.

So if there’s a celebration coming up, order early to secure your date.