CHANNEL 4 cameras are going behind the scenes at an award-winning cake makers in Saddleworth.
‘Extreme Cake Makers’ lifts the lid on the successes and failures of a creative and elite group who produce the world’s most delicious and breath-taking creations.
Across the series, viewers will see everything from a life-size Shetland pony to a 4ft replica of the Statue of Liberty, a life size ball gown with edible peacock feathers to a 5ft edible Wizard of Oz mural.
One of the talented cake makers under the spotlight will be Suzanne Thorp from The Frostery, based on Court Street in Uppermill.
Suzanne and her team of four create eye-catching, bespoke cakes for all occasions and were crowned ‘Wedding Cake Designer/Maker of the Year’ in the north west for the second time at last year’s Wedding Industry Awards.
During the Channel 4 series, they will be followed making a wedding cake and preparing for ‘Bride: The Wedding Show’ at Tatton Park, held earlier this year.
Suzanne said: “I can usually design a high specification cake for a client in a couple of days and the baking is always done just a few days before the event.
“There is always a lot of time taken to prepare the components for decorating the cake and if this was a high spec cake including lots of sugar flowers the process would take weeks as they are very time consuming.”
She continued: “The most elaborate request I have had was being asked to create an open Faberge Egg. I spent a week hand-cutting 1000 sugar clover leaves and painting each one to give an enameled look to them.
“The surprise inside was a hand-modelled sugar fairy and the whole open egg was stood on a bespoke stand as the real Faberge eggs do.
“Then we had to take it to London and so we had to have a special wooden box created to support the ‘open’ egg and stop it from moving around.
We travelled by car, train, taxi and tube to get to the venue and hearts were in our mouths the whole of the time. It arrived in one piece I’m relieved to say!
“My all-time favourite commission was creating the wedding cake for Nick Park and his gorgeous wife Mags last year.
“I have been a huge fan of Nick’s work since I was a little girl and have at times obsessed over his Plasticine creations. The fact they chose me to create their special cake meant the world to me.”
And she added: “My top tip is practice, practice, practice! You can never practice too much.
“Also don’t get confused with all the videos and tutorials online. What works for one doesn’t always work for others and sometimes watching too many techniques can confuse you.
“Find a cake artist you trust and stick with them until you feel you are ready to move on.”
Watch ‘Extreme Cake Makers’ on Channel 4 at 5.30pm on Monday, May 1 – Friday May 5.
Visit The Frostery at 23 Court Street, Uppermill, Saddleworth, OL3 6HD or call them on 01457 778111. Visit their website to find out more: www.thefrostery.co.uk
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