Velvet Magazine September 2016

Ready,
Steady,
Cake!
We speak to sugarcraft expert,
Weddings
The Cambridge Sugarcraft Company
Tel: 07734842709
www.cambridgesugarcraftcompany.co.uk
Jools Chalder-Mills about some of her
top tips and masterpieces
Cutting the cake is one of the main events
at your big day so it’s not surprising people
go to great lengths to ensure their cake is
nothing less than spectacular. From the
taste to the design and decoration, sorting
your wedding cake really should be left to
the pros. When we went to meet Jools from
The Cambridge Sugarcraft Company and
chair of The Cambridge Sugarcraft Guild
we didn’t quite realise the vast amount
of options and designs people are able to
choose from. From lacing, embellishments
and handcrafted flowers, the artwork
that can be created from sugar alone is
incredible.
Jools makes cakes for all occasions; from
birthdays and baby showers to weddings,
anniversaries and even graduations! “I
make all of my cakes from home and love
every minute of it. It’s great when it all
comes together at the end and to be able
to contribute to someone’s big day. I work
really closely with my customers to ensure
everything is perfect – right from the
flavour to the exact colouring. It really is
amazing how much you can do with sugar,”
Jools tells us.
“Sugarcrafted flowers are still very popular.
They last forever! In fact, I’ve still got my
centre piece from my wedding which was
21 years ago!” she continues. Like most
things, trends change frequently but at the
moment ‘naked’ cakes are really big. “White
on white is also proving to be popular, I’ve
been doing lots of detailing and lacing for
more traditional styles in a crisp white or
ivory colour. They look incredibly effective
and often my customers choose to subtly
incorporate their colour scheme into it too.
When it comes to the flavouring, everyone
is different!” Jools said.
Alongside constructing beautiful creations,
Jools also runs teaching workshops. “I
enjoy spreading my knowledge and helping
others learn sugarcraft. This year I’ve run
several big group sessions focusing on
different topics but I also offer tutoring
for smaller groups at home. As chair of
The Cambridge Sugarcraft Guild, I meet
every third Thursday of the month to
demonstrate and perform ‘how-to’s’.
Everyone’s welcome and you don’t need
any previous experience.” The Cambridge
Sugarcraft Guild aims to promote and
stimulate interest in sugarcraft whilst
sharing knowledge and developing talent.
Their next meeting will be held on Thursday
15th September in Cambridge, so be sure
to pop along and learn something new!
Top Tips
Practice makes perfect!
Always use good quality ingredients
and be sure to store in airtight
containers
Beware of humidity (silica gel bags
are invaluable in helping to remove
moisture and helping your artwork
to set!)
Be prepared and make a detailed
plan (make note of any dietary
requirements)
Make any detailed elements in
enough time incase they don’t turn
out as you had planned
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