Re-creating a slice of history
Queen’s wedding cake project
A unusual royal project came to Bannockburn at the weekend.
The King Robert Hotel played host to a workshop that saw Scotland’s top cake makers attempt to try to re-create a replica of the Queen’s wedding cake.
The original replica of the cake was damaged beyond repair in 2015 by vandals squatting in the Peek Frean Museum in London.
The British Sugarcraft Guild (BS G) was approached for help and its national committee agreed to fabricate a new version of the cake which was originally created by Peek Frean in 1947 when the Queen and Prince Philip married.
Peek Frean made a full size replica of the cake which was displayed in the reception of Peek Frean’s factory and remained at the facility until the factory closed in 1989.
The replica then went on display at an exhibition at The Pumphouse Educational Museum in Rotherhithe, south east London.
When the exhibition changed premises, the cake was left behind as it was too large, and expensive to move. Squatters then gained access to the vacated building during the night. They broke the casing and dismantled parts of the cake and re-assembled it upside down and threw red paint over the display.
BSG members of all ages came together at the King Robert to share and learn traditional skills used on the original cake and work on handmade flowers and sugar plaques which will adorn the top tier of the sixtier cake.
BSG Scotland and Northern Ireland chairwoman Cecilia Young said: “It has been a wonderful example of what the British Sugarcraft Guild stands for – sharing and learning new and old skills.
“We still have lots of work to do on the cake, and we hope that anyone interested in seeing this unique project in action will come along to our cake competition and exhibition at Tulliallan Police College, Kincardine, on Saturday June 10.
“The assembly of the cake will begin then.
“There will also be the opportunity for anyone interested in cake decorating to take part in classes with world-famous tutors who do not often come to Scotland.”
There is a branch of the Sugarcraft Guild in Stirling, which meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 7pm in the Mayfield Community Centre, St Ninians.
Anyone with an interest in cake decorating can contact Angela Curran for more details at eleganzacakes@btinternet. com.