TWO Forest bakers who have just set up a Cinderford business are celebrating success at their first competition together, with a creation inspired by a well-known local artist.

Rebecca Webb from Lydney and Larissa Lingham from Cinderford run Wye Valley Cakery, which has only been up and running for a few weeks. The pair scored a merit for their four-tiered wedding cake, based on designs by popular Parkend ceramicist Mary Rose Young, at the International Cake Competition held at the NEC in Birmingham from November 4 to 6.

Larissa, who lives in Cinderford, told the Review, “We’ve only been in business for a few weeks. In fact we’ve only just got our branding sorted and our Facebook page up and running, so we were really, really pleased with this result as this is one of the biggest competitions there is.

“There were hundreds of entries in our category and we didn’t go in to it expecting to be placed. We’re both artists as well as bakers and we’ve worked together at the George Cafe in Newnham, which stocks Mary Rose Young’s work. We liked the idea of combining cakes and art. The cake itself this time was a dummy. In some categories there were tastings, but this was all about the quality of the sugar-craft.

“In our work we use buttercream and semi-naked or rustic finishes as well as sugar-craft. Becky has done cakes for weddings before and we recently worked on one together. We’ll definitely enter again next year and we’re looking at entering wedding awards next year too.”

Artist Mary Rose Young said: “I was very flattered that they chose my work for inspiration. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the cake, it was amazing and very creative. Although they had taken elements of my pottery they had taken it into their own sphere and made it totally their own. Working with food is such a different art and I was very impressed by what Rebecca and Larissa achieved.”

To find out more about Wye Valley Cakery, search for them on Facebook, email [email protected] or ring Larissa on 07553 808129.