The Great British Bake Off may have crowned its champion but Sutton has its own king of the cakes.


Zahir Rathod, of Autumn Drive, Belmont, was awarded gold medals in the Sculpted Novelty Cake and the Decorative Exhibit class at the Cake International event in Birmingham.

Mr Rathod, a sugar crafter with around 20 years experience, won with his Owl and Hedgehog creations at the three day cake jamboree that started on November 7.

The 44-year-old said entering was something he had wanted to do for the past 18 years but could not because of work priorities.

Mr Rathod, who went to the event with his wife Hina, 38, and 19-month-old baby girl Zaara, said: "I'm now working from home now so I've got the time.

"I love nature and I was wanting to make an owl because on the intricate work involved and hedgehogs are just very cute.

"Each feather on the owl is individually made to give it that feather look, but you also to to carve it."

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Prickly competitor: One of Mr Rathod's entries

he 14inch owl was entered in the pure sugar decorative exhibit category with the 16inch hedgehog fruit cake in the sculpted novelty cake group.

He plans to give them to local colleges as an example of what can be achieved in the industry.

He said: "They are not going to go on sale but I would like to give them to someone, such as a college, to show pupils what you can you do with sugar craft. 

"Maybe the Wandle Valley School for the hedgehog.

"I really didn't think I'd win it because I only entered for the first time and it's an international competition with more than 1,000 competitors from all over the world.

"The standards are so high so I wasn't expecting anything."