Multi-million pound television productions have a bizarre habit of forgetting how money works.
Rich Myers, the straight-talking founder of Leeds and Manchester bakery Get Baked, proved this when he publicly shared a jaw-dropping email from the production team behind ITV’s hit show The Voice UK. The television crew wanted his viral, multi-layered cakes to fill their celebrity dressing rooms and green rooms.
The catch? They openly stated they were unable to offer anything monetary or otherwise in return. Instead, they offered the oldest trick in the corporate grifter playbook: exposure.
Myers didn't politely decline. He blasted them on social media, calling ITV and Lifted Entertainment a total disgrace.
He's completely right. Small businesses cannot pay their staff, buy high-quality ingredients, or cover soaring commercial rents using exposure points. The culture of massive media entities demanding free labour and goods from independent creators needs to die.
The Exposure Economy is a Total Scam
The email sent to Get Baked tried to frame the request as an exciting opportunity. The production team bragged about their high calibre of talent and highly influential coaches. They genuinely believed that letting a wealthy celebrity eat a slice of high-end chocolate cake for free was doing the baker a favour.
It is a completely upside-down argument.
Television networks sell lucrative commercial advertising slots. They bring in hundreds of millions in revenue. Yet, when it comes to stocking the backstage green rooms with premium treats, they treat independent shops like charity operations.
This isn't an isolated incident. The independent food industry deals with this constantly. From reality TV stars trying to score free birthday cakes to production companies trying to save a few quid on catering budgets, the entitlement is massive.
When you ask a small business for free goods, you're asking them to swallow the cost of ingredients, overheads, and manual labour. You're asking them to take a financial hit so your production budget looks better.
Why the Apology Misses the Broader Point
Following the massive backlash generated by Myers' viral response, Lifted Entertainment issued a swift apology. They claimed they were reaching out to the bakery directly and promised that this type of request would not happen again.
That is a standard corporate damage-control move.
The real issue is that these requests are systematically baked into production strategies. junior researchers and runners are routinely told to reach out to trendy local brands to see what they can scrape together for free. It is a cost-cutting tactic disguised as a collaborative opportunity.
Myers hit the nail on the head by pointing out the sheer scale of the imbalance. A media conglomerate with massive pre-tax profits shouldn't be hunting for handouts from a bakery. If a TV show wants premium, viral food products to impress their celebrity judges, they should pay the retail price just like everyone else.
How Independent Businesses Can Protect Themselves
Saying no to big brands feels scary when you're growing a business. You worry about missing out on a big break. But true growth comes from paying customers, not empty promises.
Establish a strict boundary early. Create a firm policy that states your business does not provide free goods or services in exchange for social media mentions or backstage placements. When a production company reaches out, send them a standard commercial rate card immediately.
Value your work. If your product is good enough to sit in a celebrity dressing room, it is good enough to be paid for.
Flip the script on the exposure argument. Tell the brand that you would love to collaborate, but your mortgage provider and ingredient suppliers don't accept exposure as a valid currency.
Rich Myers showed the entire independent business community exactly how to handle corporate audacity. He called it out clearly, refused to back down, and protected the integrity of his craft. Stop letting big corporations devalue your hard work. Start charging them full price.
