AN UPPERMILL cake designer who has spent three decades perfecting her craft has been crowned Wedding Cake Artist of the Year at a prestigious international awards ceremony.
Suzanne Thorp, the creative talent behind Saddleworth-based The Frostery, received the accolade at the Cake & Bake International Awards at the Hilton NEC in Birmingham on Saturday, November 7.
The award recognises outstanding creativity, technical skill and contribution to the wedding cake industry, with nominees assessed by a panel of industry judges.
For Suzanne, who has made more than 20,000 cakes during her career, the recognition was particularly special.
“I’d been judging and demonstrating all weekend, and I was really looking forward to the awards evening,” she said.
“Being nominated alongside such exceptional cake designers was an honour in itself, so to hear my name announced as the winner was a very special moment. I’m absolutely delighted.
“To be recognised by an industry I’ve dedicated so much of my life to means an enormous amount.”
Suzanne is no stranger to the spotlight, having appeared in four series of Channel 4’s Extreme Cake Makers.
She is also a judge at Cake International and an ambassador for Renshaw, a leading name in cake decorating products.
Her speciality is royal icing piping, a painstaking technique that requires a steady hand and remarkable attention to detail.
Over the years, she has developed her own contemporary approach to the traditional craft, creating intricate designs for bespoke wedding cakes.
And despite her success, Suzanne was quick to acknowledge the people who have supported her along the way.
“I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported me, particularly my family, who’ve put up with postponed holidays, many a late tea and ‘just five more minutes’ while I finish a cake!” she joked.
The award comes at an exciting time for The Frostery, which is preparing to relocate from Uppermill to a new studio in Delph.
Alongside creating a limited number of bespoke wedding cakes each year, Suzanne is also developing an online education programme.
The project will allow her to share her expertise in modern royal icing techniques with cake artists around the world.
After 30 years of late nights, intricate designs and thousands of cakes, the latest accolade is certainly a sweet moment for the Saddleworth businesswoman.
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