A talented baker whose incredible “Pirates of the Caribbean” cake scooped gold has set her sights on more success after investing in a new studio.
Award-winning cake designer Helen Searle-Jones, from Hope, in Flintshire, wowed judges at last year’s Cake International with her epic sea monster scene, showing a huge Kraken dragging Captain Jack Sparrrow’s Black Pearl pirate ship beneath the waves.
Now the mum-of-three, who runs Searle Jones Cake Design, is returning to the world’s biggest cake design competition at the NEC in Birmingham – this time not just to compete but also to take centre stage as a demonstrator.
Helen’s chances have been boosted by the tailor-made studio she had installed by Rubicon Garden Rooms which she now uses as her creative kitchen, teaching space and cake design hub.
The bespoke building, created by the company based on the Cheshire-North Wales border in Penyffordd, has transformed her business, allowing Helen to craft ever more ambitious edible masterpieces – from dragons and racing cars to lifelike dogs and luxury wedding cakes.
According to Helen, the new studio has been a “total game-changer”, giving her the space to dream big and design spectacular showpieces that have helped turn her lifelong passion into a thriving full-time career.
She launched the business on a full-time basis earlier this year following a 30-year career in the IT industry, she said she needed a bespoke studio to turn her dream into a reality.
Helen said: “It’s lovely to have my own studio now, it’s been a big bonus to the business, it has been a total game-changer.
“It’s good to take the business out of the family kitchen and have the studio in the garden.
“Working in the family kitchen was limiting, and now I can do bigger things.
“The single-room studio, with kitchen, work area and table, is exactly what I needed.
“There’s space to run classes in here, bring clients in here, make and design the cakes, everything is done in here.
“Rubicon built it and then my husband Andrew and I put in the kitchen and all the appliances.
“What really attracted us to Rubicon was the quality of service, that was off-the-chart to be honest, it was so good.
“We looked around at other businesses and after meeting Rubicon we felt they were the ones we could trust the most.
“From the day they arrived on site until the day they left, they were very professional.
“The Rubicon team were lovely, all I had to do was make them coffee – and feed them some cake occasionally.”
Rubicon Garden Rooms founder and managing director John Lyon said he found it hugely satisfying to know the buildings his firm were creating were supporting small businesses and allowing people to follow their dreams.
He said: “It gives me a buzz to know that what we do, and I have had it often said to me, can change people’s lives.
“That can be somebody like Helen who can now run her business the way she wants to, or that can be somebody who is ill and just wants a nice place to sit in and enjoy their garden, or somebody who wants a granny annexe built to be close to family members.
“Renting premises for example is really expensive, so having their business premises so close by and so accessible can be a real bonus to many small business owners.
“It is wonderful to know we are supporting small businesses and their owners to achieve their dreams.”
Helen says she’s thrilled and honoured to have been asked to put on demonstrations at this year’s Cake International from October 31 to November 2 where she will also be competing in the wedding cake category.
She has also been shortlisted as a finalist in the North Wales Wedding Awards in the best cake designer category.
That competition takes place at Venue Cymru in Llandudno on November 9.
She said: “That’ll be really exciting, and a wonderful celebration, something I am really looking forward to.”
