CAKE designers scooped two awards at an international competition.

Heather Upham and Georgina Clapp from the Fancy That Cake Company in Beaminster were both awarded accolades at the Cake International Birmingham event earlier this month.

Experienced designers Heather and Georgina tasted success with silver and merit awards respectively.

Facing competition from entrants who had travelled to the NEC venue from around the world, the duo impressed judges with their entries in the ‘Pushing the Boundaries’ category.

Heather was awarded a silver medal for her chilling representation of Pennywise the Dancing Clown from Stephen King’s horror novel It, also seen in the nineties TV mini series and 2017 film of the same name.

Georgina was given a merit for ‘Mad Hatter’s Hat’, a quirky nod to the famous character from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland books, who also appears in films adapted from the novels.

The team from the Fleet Street shop entered a category where judges were looking for particular visual flair and innovation.

Heather said: “They look for particular attention to detail in the design, as well as technical aspects like whether the cakes are freestanding.

“There were more than 1,500 entrants in all of the different categories in total and we were up against designers from Japan, China, Portugal, Spain, Italy – all over the world really.

“To come away with two awards is really special.”

The two take their inspiration from everyday life and culture, and especially the arts.

Heather added: “Often we will be inspired by TV, films or books, anything that captures the imagination really.”

They have enjoyed significant success at the show in the past, previously winning two gold, 10 silver and 10 bronze medals.

Their achievements are especially impressive given the international focus now given to the Birmingham event.

Heather said: “They used to run different shows during the year, also in London and other cities, but from this year onwards it will just be the one annual competition at the NEC, so the competition is as strong as ever.”

For more information on the business see www.fancythatcakes.net