SHOP CHRISTMAS

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Trading Hours

We are open 7 days a week, Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm

Saturday 9 am to 4 pm.

Sunday 9 am to 3 pm.

We are closed Public Holidays and a few additional days near Christmas and New Year.

Parking

We are on the corner of Victoria Ave and Carrington Roads. The most convenient parking is from our driveway in Carrington Road, there is ample parking, we are next to Subway!

What is The French Kitchen?

The French Kitchen is your one stop party shop! We are here to help you plan for your next party whether it be your 18th, 21st, 50th, Engagement, Wedding, Christening, Baby Shower or the big 1st Birthday- we have everything that you need to throw a great party. From your decorations, balloons, helium hire, food, Pinata's, ice and we can personalise a cake for you also.

How much time do you need?

We can help you put together a party on any given day! However, if you have the time to plan ahead we can offer you more services- Salads to order, Sandwich Platters, Personalised & Photo Cakes, Balloon arrangements and much more.

What is a “Personalised” Cake and how much time do you need to “Personalise” a Cake?

A “Personalised” Cake is a slab cake either a medium (half) or large (full slab) cake that we can either place a photo, logo, character image or just words onto your cake with an editable icing image. The are printed using a special printer that has editable inks and icing sheets. We can put your favourite photo on the cake, a work logo or 4 to 5 words on the cake.

Orders must be in to us by 11.45 am Wednesday morning for a weekend pickup. For photo cakes must have the image in by 11.30 am Wednesday prior to the weekend pick-up..

Should you require your cake for another day we will require 2 to 3 working days. We recommend calling us directly should you be needing your cake within short notice, we can do our best for you to accommodate, but we do have cut off times. Please call us on 02 96342593. Please if in doubt please do not do a website order, as we will not be able to accommodate you just because the order went thru the website! Sorry – those pastry chefs have to sleep some time!

Are the French Kitchen Slab Cakes Halal?

YES! The French Kitchen uses a Halal approved gelatin in it's cakes. Other brands will use what they use, we can only assist product by product.

The Cakes are frozen – Why?

Our cakes are frozen, so that you can pop down and purchase a cake 7 days a week you know that it is fresh when you thaw it. They are moist and have been sold like this for over 30 years.

Should you wish your cake to be thawed for pick-up please request in your notes and the cake will need to be paid for prior - we can help you over the phone or via our website.

Do you stock Vegan cakes?

We do! We stock a vegan chocolate mud cake as well as a gourmet vegan chocolate and almond cake from Looma's Cakes. Additionally, we stock a range of Looma's gourmet cakes including Gluten free gourmet cakes! 

Do you deliver?

In general no, sorry :( 

To a home, no sorry, not at this stage.

We will deliver to a business, office, school, Church, or large organization if it is local, fully paid for in advance and pre-organised. Please note we do not deliver on the weekend usually. Please call us on 9634 2593 to discuss.

Please call the shop on 96342593 for printable price list of our most popular products.

If you cannot see a product that you're interested in ring up the shop, during opening hours, to talk to our staff members. 

Balloons FAQ

  • Do you offer a delivery service?
    • Unfortunately we do not deliver. We are located in Castle Hill with easy and convenient parking.
    • Can I cancel or change my balloon order?
    • We are happy to make changes to your order up until the day before your function, but once we have inflated balloons for you we can not change or refund.
  • How far in advance do I need to book?
    • If you are wanting to hire a helium tank from us, we do suggest booking the tank about a week in advice to avoid disappointment on the day. If you just need the balloons blown up and you don’t want to hire a tank, we suggest booking prior to your party date. This way, we can have them ready for you when you come in on the party day.
  • Do you fill balloons I have purchased elsewhere?
    • Yes we can, but we cannot guarantee the quality of your balloons. If your balloon unfortunately has a hole or pops we are not liable for the cost of the balloon or the helium gas.
  • Do balloons need to be paid for in advance?
    • To have your balloons filled and ready for you we do require pre-payment at the time of booking them in.
  • How long do latex balloons with helium float for?
    • We generally say that our latex quality loose balloons that are filled with helium last around 10-12 hours. But that time could be shorter or longer depending on the environment they are kept in. Balloons hate the heat!!!  We do recommend that your balloons are kept out of the sun in a cool space.
    • We have a balloon extender called Hi-Float that we use to coat the inside of the latex balloons so they retain the helium more, which means that the latex balloons will stay up for a few more hours. Foil balloons that are filled with helium last up to a week.
  • Are there any safety concerns?
    •  Dispose of them in the rubbish. This is super important to us!
    • We recommend that children are supervised with balloons, and broken pieces are immediately discarded. Sucking helium is dangerous and can kill- so please do not suck helium from balloons, ever! Balloons are good fun, but they are not good for our pets or wildlife. Keeping balloons away from pets and quickly disposing of deflated balloons will keep tame and wild animals from choking on or ingesting them. All of our Professional balloons are biodegradable latex.. If in doubt with a latex allergy, we recommend a foil balloon bouquet.
  • What are foil balloons?
    • Foil balloons look like shiny silver metal when plain, although they are often printed. Unlike latex balloons, foil balloons are not porous, so air does not leak out of them easily, as long as they are properly sealed. Foil balloons are also not biodegradable, as they're made from synthetic materials.
  • Does the temperature impact the balloons?
    • Temperature definitely impacts on balloons, especially the float time and the shine they have. In heat, balloons tend to lose their shine quickly and easily and are more likely to pop. So we always recommend storing your inflated balloons in a cool place and NOT leaving them in a hot car for a prolonged length of time. 
    • Where is the best place to store balloons before my event? We recommend to store balloons in a cool place as the temperature can affect the balloons. The best place to keep your balloons are in a laundry or cool garage. Otherwise in a place that is out of direct sunlight and heat as balloons are lose their shine or pop when the environment they are stored in is too hot.
  • How long before my event should i pick up my balloons?
    • We recommend picking up your balloons as close to the event as you can to ensure you will get the longest possible life of the balloons. Check our opening hours and speak to us about booking time
  • Can i re-inflate my balloons?
    • Latex balloons are unfortunately good for one use only.
    • Foil balloons can be re-inflated a few times before they start to look worn. If we are re-inflating foils for you, please note we can guarantee the foil 
  • Can I purchase a helium tank?
    • Here at The French Kitchen we do sell DIY helium kits, and we also hire out helium tanks. We have a range of options to best suit your balloon needs! Check out our balloon deals for more information. Feel free to speak to a team member about what we can do for you.