Tanys Pullin, Creative Consultant at Ford Farm, a Dorset based cheesemaker is no stranger to unusual requests for celebration cakes made from cheese and was delighted to rise to the challenge of a commission to create a military tank sculpted from cheddar last month for the wedding of a Major from the Royal Tank Regiment in Salisbury.
Major Steven Bee who tied the knot with his fiancée Justine, at a ceremony at Warmwell House in Dorset in September, wanted to mark the occasion with a wedding cake in the shape of his favourite tank – the Mark IV the first ever tank to be used en masse at the Battle of Cambrai during the First World War in November 1917.
Having been a fan of Ford Farm Cheese for many years and been witness to some of Tanys's previous cheese creations, Steven called upon her expertise to help him achieve his dream wedding cake.
Tanys spent four days creating the structure by hand, from varieties of cheese made at the Farm including Ford Farm's two most famous brands – Wookey Hole Cave Aged Cheddar and Coastal Cheddar – both of which formed the tank's robust base.
Commenting on the construction, Tanys said: 'It was a great honour to be able to create a centrepiece for Captain Steve and Justine's special day. It's always a challenge working with cheese as you must wear gloves for hygiene all the time and cover the cheese and refrigerate it every few hours to keep it fresh. The Farmer's Five cheese – a layered cheese which we make for customers in the USA came in handy for the body adding both depth and colour.'
Major Bee was delighted with the result, as were his guests: 'Tanys's creations are genuine works of art and a real visual sensation at a wedding. It's a shame that we had to cut into the cake and eat it. But of course, we did, and once we'd started feasting on the delicious cheese, there was no stopping us until it was all gone!'.
Tanys Pullin has established a widespread reputation in the South West for carving celebration cakes made from Ford Farm cheese. Her repertoire includes a celebration cake for Mary Berry at the Wells Literary Festival, a chocolate cheese wedding cake as well as a crown sculpture carved from a half tonne piece of cheddar.
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