Shotton’s ‘Cake Doctor’ scoops top national award for second year running

A Shotton based cake maker has scooped a top national award for the second year running.

Dr Alison Bushell, known as the The ‘Cake Doctor – was named North Wales Cake Designer of the Year at the Welsh Wedding Awards in Cardiff.

Wedding professionals gathered last Wednesday at The Exchange Hotel in Cardiff to find out the champions of The 3rd Welsh Wedding Awards 2020.

The awards recognised everyone that works hard towards creating memorable and unique weddings; from wedding planners, coordinators, specialists and caterers to photographers,
videographers, florists and stationery suppliers.

The star-studded evening was hosted by radio-broadcaster, Polly James.

She presented the winners, as chosen by the public and congratulated them for their driven passion to leave every customer satisfied and deliver elegant weddings.                                                   

Alison, who has a PhD in Clinical Biochemistry was overwhelmed to receive the award for the second year running, she said: 

“ I am genuinely overwhelmed. When I gave up teaching to pursue my career in cakes I never dreamed that I could win such a prestigious award”

[Gobsmacked – Alison is announced as the winner last Wednesday at The Exchange Hotel in Cardiff ]

The Cake Doctor’s reputation has steadily grown over the past ten years, mainly through word of mouth Alison says.

“I feel that one of my biggest strengths is the quality of my cakes.

I have experimented with and tested my recipes and flavour combinations rigorously over the years and I know that my cakes taste as good as they look.

I use the best quality ingredients and all my cakes are finished to the highest standard. Nothing leaves my workshop unless I am happy with it.”

Being a wedding cake designer may not be the most obvious career choice for a science teacher with a degree in Biochemistry.

[Alison at her workshop in Deeside Enterprise Centre on Rowleys Drive, Shotton]

Alison says she has “always had a love of baking” but the career switch came after her disabled son Ben became very ill. She said:

“When Ben’s condition became so severe I made the difficult decision to give up teaching Science and become his full-time carer.

I continued to bake from home for friends and family but word of mouth brought more and more people asking for cakes.”

“Four years ago the opportunity came for me to move into my own premises and I am pleased to say my business has gone from strength to strength.

It has been a lot of blood, sweat and tears but it is so worth it.”

[Cakes created by The Cake Doctor]

Making wedding and celebration cakes is not a job for Alison its a passion she says.

“I love to see the joy and amazement on the faces of my customers when they first see their cakes. I have had more than a few tears of joy over the years from my brides and grooms.”

The name for the business came from some of her pupils whilst she was still teaching, Alison said:

“The children called me Dr B and if they did particularly well in a test or if they all got their coursework in on time then I would bake them a cake. One of the pupils said, You are the Cake Doctor, Miss and I thought what a good name for my business.”