“I’m gonna jump in at the deep end” Rotherham mother & son become baking champions

A Rotherham mother and son are celebrating after winning awards at the world's largest cake decorating and baking competition.

The creative pair are Nicky and Roman Mennell, from Kilnhurst came out with bronze and gold at Cake and Bake International in Birmingham earlier this month.

Nicky has had her own fully health inspected cake studio for 6-7 years, she makes orders for returning customers through Facebook Messenger.

Speaking after the competition, which was held between November 6-8, Nicky said: “Every year we’ve gone along for one day just to have a look, and I’ve always thought I wanted to do it, but I can’t.

"My customers know my creativity, so they do push me to my limits.

“I decided I’m gonna jump in at the deep end.”

The baker prides herself and her family in being creative, when she picked up the phone she had sugar paste on her hands.

She talks about having a lot of self-doubt despite having baked for many years.

“Every cake that goes out you see the imperfections of your own work. Some cakes I look at and just get that imposter syndrome. 

“When you see the work there and the passion, and how amazing everyone else’s entry is, you look back and think what have I done, I’ve made a mistake, it’s not up to the standard of these other people.

“We saw the judges walking along, and as one of them placed bronze next to mine he turned around and said ‘I’m pleased to tell you you’ve got a bronze.’”

Her category was to make a three or more tiered wedding cake, and she said there were over 1000 entries for all the different categories at the competition.

Roman, who has just turned 12, placed gold.

“My little boy is very creative so he asked if he could enter. There was a junior section so we had a look and found something for him. 

“He loves baking and he loves cooking, he’s one of those kids who will try his hand at anything. When he was at junior school he was the kid that would go in with a full cardboard costume.” 

“He was in shock (when he won) at that age they’re quite critical of everything, they don’t have that confidence, I was crying when we realised he’d won.”

The 46-year-old urges everyone to embrace their creative side: “If you've got the passion, just go with it. 

“People seem to have lost creativity. I taught both my kids to crochet and knit, and how to use a sewing machine. Little skills they carry through life that a lot of kids, and even young adults don't know how to do.”

Her 21-year-old daughter, Ruby has always made jewellery, and her husband Rob, 50, also shares the creativity. 

“I blame my parents buying plasticine and playdoh for us in the 80s,” she said.

She reminisces on her first cake that began the love of baking.

“I remember baking my little brother a cake when I was about 17/18, I made him a horrendous cake looking back,” she jokes.

“I’ll definitely enter the competition again when Cake International releases the categories for 2027.”