Local cake maker and decorator, Sue Kirby was thrilled when she opened the latest copy of Sugar Craft magazine. Sue is a member of the Monmouthshire branch of the British Sugarcraft Guild and, as many readers will know, her cake decorating skills are exceptional.

Sue is one of a team of expert sugar crafters who have been working hard to construct a replica of the Queen’s wedding cake. The original is deteriorating and crumbling and so the British Sugarcraft Guild, in all areas of the country was called on to recreate the icing on dummie cakes.

The original cake was created by Peak Frean in 1947 and delivered to Buckingham Palace in a specially modified car, which was driven at walking pace.

A replica of the cake was put on display but in 2015 it was vandalised and red paint was thrown over it.

The Peak Frean Museum approached The British Sugarcraft Guild last year to make a replica for the museum and various Guilds have been working on a tier each.

The magazine included photographs of some of the members of the regional teams who have been working on the different tiers. Sue told the Ross Gazette: “I was really surprised when I opened the magazine to see a picture of myself and Sue Price, who is also from Ross-on-Wye.

We are both members of the Monmouthshire branch and when the photograph was taken for the magazine we were working on the trellis sections.

The team behind the project hope that the replica cake will be completed by the end of the summer in time for the 70th, platinum, wedding anniversary of HM The Queen and Prince Philip on November 20th.