Creating art is a sweet sensation for Telford sugarcraft group

Members of the Shropshire Branch of the British Sugarcraft Guild meet every week to hone their skills with all things sugar.

The British Sugarcraft Guild was established in 1981, with the motto ‘my craft is my art’, by a group of enthusiastic cake decorators who shared a love for the art of sugarcraft.

A non-profit organisation, it is dedicated to the promotion of cake decorating and sugarcraft and members include hobby cake makers, home bakers, specialist retailers, manufacturers and renowned professionals.

The Guild organises activities such as demonstration days, residential skills schools, exhibitions and trips to cake shows.

The Shropshire branch was established in 1986 and currently has around 15 members who attend sessions at Wellington Methodist Church.

Each get-together starts with a demonstration by founder member and experienced cake decorator Brenda Poyser.

“I talk to the group to find out what they would like to do and I demonstrate the different steps for them. We’ve been making been making baskets of spring flowers and sugar eggs.

“Everybody has their own take on it and will do it slightly differently. They might have their own ideas and just use elements of what they have been shown,” says Brenda, who previously taught cake decorating at Telford College of Arts & Technology.

Sugarcraft techniques involve shaping, moulding, and sculpting sugar-based materials, such as fondant and modelling chocolate.

Food colouring, dusting powders, and edible paints can then be added to the pieces to bring them to life with realistic finishes.

“It’s got such a lot of different aspects to it,” says Brenda. “You can be really creative. It’s very relaxing, you can sit down and easily spend a few hours doing it and not realise how much time has passed. It’s also a lovely thing to be able to do if you’ve got children and grandchildren,” she adds.

Julie Platzer, from Hodnet, joined the branch 10 years ago. “I loved making cakes and when I had my daughter I wanted to make her birthday cakes.

“I tried to make the decorations but they didn’t turn out very well. I decided I wanted to learn how to do it properly and I had the time to come to the meetings,” she explains.

Now, making realistic-looking flowers out of sugarpaste is incredibly satisfying. “I have learned so much about flowers from doing this. You will look at real flowers differently because you have made them out of sugar,” says Julie.

She also enjoys the social side to the group with members enjoying a chat and a cuppa as they work on their latest creations. “It’s a good support group. Everybody helps each other out,” says Julie.

Grandmother of four Susan Grant, from Muxton, also started attended meetings around 10 years ago and is the group’s treasurer.

She describes sugarcraft as being “therapeutic” and loves experimenting with new ideas and gifting her creations to her family and friends. “The grandchildren always get a cake and they drop a lot of hints about what cake they would like.

“I give family and friends a Christmas cake for a present or cakes for their birthdays. Sugarcraft was something I had always had an interest in so when I retired I had the time to do it,” says Susan.

Marion Davies has been a member of the group for more than 20 years and loves creating spring flowers such as snowdrops, daffodils and tulips.

“It’s a very enjoyable hobby and gives me something creative to do in my spare time. It’s also a way of making new friends – I’ve met some lovely people by coming to the classes,” she says.

Last year, the group attended the British Sugarcraft Guild’s 2023 Sugarcraft and Cake Gala, which took place in Solihull and included demonstrations, mini workshops for adults and children and competitions for individuals and branches.

The event’s theme was Time To Celebrate and the Shropshire Branch worked together on a sugarcraft display titled: A Celebration Fit For A King.

They were delighted to take home a silver award for their creation which paid homage to the King’s love of the environment.

“It was a group project and everybody worked really hard. I think everyone was happy to receive silver,” says Brenda.

Kathleen Turner, from Brookside, Telford, was also highly commended for her basket of handmade flowers. “Sugarcraft is such a relaxing thing to do. There is no stress with it. You can be as creative as you want to be. Even if a flower doesn’t grow in a particular colour, you can make it any colour you want. It’s surprising how many different things you can do,” she says.

The group is always on the lookout for new members and caters for absolute beginners as well as those with some experience.

“When someone new starts, who doesn’t have any previous experience, we will start at the very beginning so they don’t need to worry about not knowing how to do anything. We will support them and they will be able to make something straight away,” says Brenda.

The Shropshire Branch of the Sugarcraft Guild meets on Wednesday mornings from 10am-12pm at Wellington Methodist Church. Meetings take place in 10-week blocks.

For more information about the British Sugarcraft Guild, visit bsguk.org