Local woman wins two categories at prestigious culinary competition

Cake decorator to the stars and the owner of cake decoration company, Novel-T Cakes, in Parkwood, in Tubber, on the Offaly/Westmeath border, Tanya Ross, has said she was “delighted” and “genuinely shocked” after winning two categories in Northern Ireland's largest chef competition programme recently.

Tanya claimed Gold and Best in Class in both the wedding cake and carved cake categories at the IFEX Salon Cullinaire in Belfast on Thursday, March 7.

Tanya said that she had “quite high hopes” for the carved creation of a duck that she baked as she enjoyed making it. The carved duck dubbed James Pond took Tanya about five days to make. She said that it was more of a surprise to her that the wedding cake won its category.

The wedding cake featured a pale orange and ivory marble finish with sugarpaste on the top and flowers made with rice paper. The carved creation of a duck was made using sugarpaste on the exterior and was dusted with food colouring. Modelling chocolate and airplanes made of wafer paper supplemented the cake design.

Tanya was awarded two gold certificates and two gold medals for her achievements. It was the local cake decorator's first time competing in the competition in Belfast which she said gave her a chance to make something that she wouldn't have the opportunity to create for a customer. “It's an opportunity to try new techniques.”

Tanya added that it was “nice to go” to the competition to see how other events are run and to receive different feedback.

The award-winning decorator has previously made cakes for the likes of Bob Geldof, the late Shane MacGowan, John Sheehan and Conor McGregor, along with cakes for the Late Late Show and the Ray D'Arcy Show.

Tanya has won awards all over the world, and she was named among the Top 10 cake artists across all of Ireland and the UK in 2020 for her elaborate cakes.

Novel-T Cakes can be contacted on its Facebook page, which also features an breathtaking array of pictures of Tanya’s cakes, and she advises customers to “give as much notice as possible” to her when ordering a special occasion cake.