Your Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wedding - June/July 2020 (Issue 83)

78 KERRY SMITH AT THE BERKSHIRE BAKESMITH Where did your journey in to baking begin? As a child, I distinctly remember sitting on my nan’s kitchen worktop while she baked, watching her every move and of course licking the spoons! My mum also used to bake everything from bread to English muffins and cakes, so baking had always been a big part of my life. When I had my first son, I wanted to make his first birthday cake myself and so I taught myself how to decorate his cake and from there it started to snowball. Friends started to ask me to make cakes for them and eventually, in 2012, I decided to start baking my bakes to sell. I’m completely self-taught, using recipes from my family and of my own creation, and I’ve learned and practised every single skill as I go. There’s always something new to learn so there’s never a dull moment! What you love most about your job? Oh I love it all! It’s an honour to be asked to be a part of any couple’s special day and meeting clients. Decorating cakes with lots of fine detail and sugar modelling, whether flowers or otherwise, are my favourite to create. But probably my favourite part is setting the cake up at the wedding venue and finally seeing it in all it’s glory; knowing I’ve created something that perfectly fits the vision of the couple and seeing their reaction. Favourite cake design: This one is really hard! I have favourites for different reasons. I absolutely loved creating my suitcase wedding cake filled with lots of handmade edible models, it was so much fun to make and took around 40-hours to complete. I assembled it on-site at the wedding venue with an audience of staff and venue visitors who all applauded me once it was finished! CATHERINE SCOTT AT CELEBRATION CAKES BY CATHERINE SCOTT Where did your journey in to baking begin? My grandma started me on my baking journey when I was very young, she used to provide cakes and bakes for local ‘old folk’s’ lunches and teas and I remember helping her in her kitchen. My first attempt at cake decorating came when I started my Duke of Edinburgh’s award when I was 14 and the requirement was to learn a new skill. My mother had a friend who was an expert cake decorator so I was dispatched to her with our family Christmas cake which she taught me how to ice and decorate. I loved decorating cakes from that point and have never stopped (and that was a long time ago!). What you love most about your job? I love being a wedding cake supplier every bit as much as I love being a cake designer/decorator, I love the wedding industry, dealing with the excited couples and listening to their plans and ideas for their wedding and helping them to come up with a design that complements them and their wedding style. Also working with other industry professionals like venues, florists, venue stylists to bring everything together for them on the day. Top tip: Choose the right type of cake and serve it at the right time of the day. Try to incorporate it into the food of the day, rather than just an ‘extra’, don’t choose fruit cake because it’s ‘tradition’ if you and your guests are not fans! This will give you the best value from your cake – cakes are made to be eaten not just looked at and photographed! Top tip: There’s no such thing as booking too far in advance. If you have your heart set on a particular supplier, book them as soon as you possibly can. Wedding season is exceptionally busy and many suppliers are sole traders, meaning their availability will be very limited for each date of every year. This will be even more true for weddings in 2021, with so many weddings sadly but understandably needing to be re-scheduled from 2020, booking dates are already filling up for 2021. Go-to comfort-eating dessert? Baked cheesecake! However, since developing an egg allergy, it’s something I rarely get to indulge in sadly. These days, I’m all about the cheeseboard, or cake! Contact Kerry: www.theberkshirebakesmith.co.uk | contact@theberkshirebakesmith.co.uk Favourite design: It’s impossible to pick, however I did adore this cake for a Game of Thrones -themed wedding. I had never (and still haven’t!) ever seen an episode of Game of Thrones so this design involved quite a bit of research into something I knew nothing about.  Being trusted to make a themed design by a couple, who are obviously experts, is a big responsibility! Go-to comfort-eating dessert? It would have to be a really good blackberry and apple crumble and custard! Contact Catherine: www.catherines-cakes.co.uk | info@catherines-cakes.co.uk www.cp-p hotography.co.uk