Exclusive By Tom Jackson A WOMAN who says she can t abide cakes and particularly hates icing has won a top award….for cake decorating. Paula MacLeod has won the award for the cake decorating classes she runs at her Fenland shop but she never eats what s

Exclusive

By Tom Jackson

A WOMAN who says she can't abide cakes and particularly hates icing has won a top award....for cake decorating.

Paula MacLeod has won the award for the cake decorating classes she runs at her Fenland shop but she never eats what she bakes or displays.

"I don't like cake," she confessed. "And I don't like eating icing at all.

"I don't even smell icing at all now; it's like people getting sick of chocolate because they work in a chocolate factory. People say the shop smells lovely when they walk in but I'm so used to the smell."

Mrs MacLeod says she looks at a cake like an artist looks at a plain canvas to beat her dislike.

"For me a cake is a piece of ice ready to sculpt, or a piece of Playdough to make something from," she said.

But that has not stopped her winning the Wilton Gold Award for the decorating classes held at her Wisbech shop, the Creative Cake Company.

The gold certificate has been awarded by the American-based business Wilton Industries, which founded the style of decorating in 1929. It is a style used on cakes for celebrations such as weddings, landmark birthdays and christenings.

Paula runs classes on Saturdays from 10.30am-12.30pm or 2.30-4.30pm. The introduction to Wilton course runs in four-week blocks and cost �25, with the option of advancing to further courses.

Mrs MacLeod's next aim, however, is to hit the Wilton 'wall of fame' in the USA.

She said: "Wilton is massive over there and I don't care if it takes me 10 years to get on it - but I will."

n From next month, Mrs MacLeod will write a monthly blog for the Wisbech Standard website, offering her tips on cake decorating.