2025 Update on Maison Cupcake Sponsored Posts with Examples
Since 2009, Maison Cupcake has worked with over 100 brands in various ways such as:
- Recipe Development
- Brand Ambassadorships
- Freelance Writing
- Video and Social Media Content
- Hosting giveaways with brand sponsored prizes
- Product reviews (groceries, books, gadgets and kitchen equipment)
- Sponsored Posts
Imagery used in Food Blogger Sponsored post for Comet electrical retailer on Maison Cupcake in 2012 – the theme was using a new AEG range cooker after a kitchen redecoration.
Although lots of UK food bloggers used sponsored posts as part of their income, I felt these were rarely of interest to readers for very long, if at all. As the dozen or so sponsored posts I previously published are often about short term promotions, unless the post contained content of long term interest, these have been taken down. Which may be why you’ve landed on this page.
How would you define a sponsored blog post?
Although many posts remain on this site that were originally commissioned by brands, the vast majority of these contained recipes or articles that are still useful to readers.
What I’d call a “straight up sponsored post” was one that I’d never have been writing at all, had the brand not asked me to tell readers about their new initiative or product.
As well as brand imagery, sometimes these posts had embedded YouTube videos. In the days when readers used RSS feeds and social media was less crowded, sponsored posts were a quick way for brands to get their story in front of niche audiences. Posts merely signposted a brand promotion were generally 1-2 pictures and 300 words of copy quickly talking about it. It quickly became apparent as a publisher, that whilst these posts were low effort to produce, they were low interest to readers. Thus I largely stopped doing them and decided to divert old ones to this page. A few examples can be seen below.
Do you still publish sponsored posts on Maison Cupcake?
Never say never, but for many years no I haven’t. In anycase, unless it’s straight link selling (all my sponsored posts had “no follow” links anyway), this type of activity has mostly moved to social media platforms rather than blogs.
Rather than sponsored posts, how do you prefer to collaborate with brands in 2025?
I prefer creating content that’s a more natural fit with my website. These days this would be recipe development or creating video and social media content. An ongoing brand partnership such as the ambassadorships I did with Bramley Apples and British Lion Eggs is for me, the most meaningful type of brand blogger collaboration.
Examples of Sponsored Posts on Maison Cupcake
I am a natural archivist, so I don’t like to delete these old posts without recording some details for posterity. Here are highlights of sponsored posts for brands who were featured on Maison Cupcake. These do not include sponsored giveaways which you can find on my current giveaways page. Occasionally a sponsored post took the form of a review, although I did many reviews that were not sponsored posts.
A summary of former sponsored posts:
- Comet, electrical retailer: “Getting to Know My AEG Range Cooker” (left as an example of a good “straight” sponsored post where I chatted about my new range cooker – not gifted!)
- Zopa, online banking: “Why Savings For Kids is Like Snakes and Ladders” (my own copy)
- Pocket Shop, top-up shopping delivery: “Faster Than a Rocket Shop” (product review)
- Just Eat, takeaway delivery: “Just look, just order, just wait, just eat” (service review)
- Diageo, pre-mixed drinks promotion: “Let’s Cocktail!” (YouTube video)
- Amadeus, online travel broker: “Planning a Child Free Getaway” (my own copy)
Imagery created for Sponsored Post for Money Supermarket Big Night In campaign 2013 on Maison Cupcake, mini cupcakes and cocktails and Sex and the City box set. The theme was a girls’ night in with cocktails and beauty treatments whilst watching SATC on DVD.
- Money Supermarket Big Night In campaign: “A Mr Big Night In” (my own copy)
- Idealo, shopping site: “My Idealo Holiday Reads” (my own copy/Kindle book reviews)
- High Speed Training, online training provider: “Get a Food Hygiene Training Certificate Online” (my own copy)
- Denby, homeware brand: “Win £500 worth of Gorgeous Denby homeware” (my own copy)
- Samsung / new Dragon’s Den style TV show: “Serve Gizzi Erskine a Hot Idea” (my own copy)
- Paypal, online payment service: “My Dream Kitchen” (my own copy)
For further information about Maison Cupcake recipe posts that were brand collaborations see posts tagged as commissioned work.
