A cake designer from Cheddar has been named Wedding Cake Designer of the year at a regional awards ceremony.

Kerry Hemms, who runs Angel's Kitchen, picked up the prize at the 2020 Bristol, Somerset and Wiltshire Wedding Awards.

In a year where Kerry has had to turn her business on its head due to the coronavirus crisis, this win is especially welcome as it is based on feedback from customers.

She said: "Usually this is a very formal and fun sit down affair with dinner and dancing, sadly this year it was me and hubby with a gin and tonic in front of the TV Zoom call.

"After such a crazy year where I went from approximately 30 booked wedding cakes to actually making two, this really was a fabulous win - its based on feedback from actual couples who had wedding cakes from me in 2019.

"This year I have had to turn my business completely on its head and I have gone from making wedding cakes and fitting face-to-face cake decorating classes in between, to taking myself and my classes online.

"During the first lockdown I was live on Facebook two or three times per week. It started off casually and then people began to ask me what I was making that day - I ended up baking live on a Wednesday and decorating the cake, cupcakes or cookies live on a Thursday.

"There were plenty of disasters along the way but I think it gave comfort and connection to lots of people, myself included. My postman was the very happy recipient of all of these cakes.

"I now do regular Facebook Lives for a company called Cake Stuff as I am one of their two brand ambassadors, on their Facebook page as well as to my own followers, plus I have lots of online one-off classes and courses that people can pay to join."

Kerry also undertakes some fundraising for The Space mental health project in Cheddar - she did a Christmas Cake Raffle last year and this year is doing that and a window display in partnership with the Cheddar Cakery.

And it would appear that the cake-designing skills run in the family.

"My youngest daughter Amber, who is 12, has also got the cake-making bug after her involvement last year and she has broadcast live twice, making a sloth and a duck cake," said Kerry.

"She has also sold cakes to her friends and teachers as a result."