Bake Off star cooks up gingerbread replica of Harry Potter scene
Former Bake Off contestant Terry Hartill has found his previous occupations as a ceramacist and engineer useful in his latest cake creations.
The Black Country's very own baking star, Terry, aged 59, from Wordsley, has been commissioned to produce a likeness of Hagrid's Hut, the game-keeper's home which is featured in the popular Harry Potter books and films.
He has spent about 35 hours constructing three gingerbread masterpieces for a film-based promotional company and he intends donating the money from the project to Barnardo's.
His latest creations stand 12 inches tall and measure 33 inches by 20 inches and each roof tile and the brickwork on each cake has been individually made.
Terry, who is also owns a micro-brewery, is used to extremely detailed baking having previously created a miniature replica of Hogwart's Castle at Christmas time.
He said that he has found his previous occupations as a ceramacist and engineer useful in his latest cake creations.
The father-of-two said: "I usually do baking demonstrations at food festivals and fairs but during lockdown have had to resort to zoom and social media sites.
"I was commissioned to create the cakes by a film-based promotional company for an event but do not know whether they will form a focal point or actually be presented to someone.
"Each cake has taken more than a week to complete.
"The roof tiles and brickwork are all individually made
"There are literally thousands of parts involved in the construction.
"I make moulds and hand cut parts which go into the sculpting of the cake.
"I like things to be detailed and this is really intricate cake art."
"Earlier in my life I was a ceramacist and an engineer and the making of the cakes is very much like working in clay and I also use the skills from other industries in which I have been involved.
"When I made the castle I spent three weeks making the moulds and then about 50 to 60 hours creating it and it was all made out of gingerbread and icing.
"I'm not a Harry Potter fan as such so I wasn't aware how big Hogwarts Castle actually is and got a bit of shock when I saw what it actually looked like.
"I think the event organisers got a shock when they saw how accurate I had made it.
"But things have to be right if I'm going to do it. I do extreme baking."
"The Hogwarts Castle, famous in the Harry Potter books as the school for witches and wizards, stood at half a metre tall and was 1.5 metres long and 1 metre wide.
"I am basically retired and this is a hobby really but the thing about gingerbread cakes is that if not eaten they can last quite a long time.
"They are very sugar rich and could last for up to a month.
"I am not sure whether Hagrid's Hut will be a presentation made to someone or used as a focal point at during an event.
"It is not something I would want to do full-time but lately I have considered setting up a cookery school.
Terry, who also once worked as an air steward, said: I will be giving money from the project to Barnardo's which is a charity which was always close to my heart and that of my late wife, Joanne."
