Sugar Craft cake expo

THE Sugar Craft Foundation of TT’s (SCFTT) Expo/Showcase and Cake Exhibition will feature live demonstrations, workshops, cake decorating competitions, cup cake wars for kids, and live entertainment.

Director Wynette Jackson told Newsday that the reason for having the event is to showcase the hidden talents and abilities of people in this industry. She said: “We believe that some of our sugar craft practitioners are experts in this profession and can compare favourably with world class artiste. We want this nation to see the great work that persons in this profession do and to exhibit their work not only in TT but to the world via social media. It is also a medium for entrepreneurs in the industry to market their business.”

The expo is scheduled for November 4, at YTEPP Ltd head office at Woodford Lodge, Chaguanas, from 10 am.

She said the rest of the foundation’s board is really excited about the event. “At times we get this euphoric feeling and positive, up-beat vibes but there were times we got some shots of disappointments but we never lost our focus and never thought of giving up. We prayed together and we had others pray for us so we know that God is in control. Generally speaking, we are excited 100 times over and we try to transfer that spirit of positivity to the membership. The show will definitely be a success.”

The SCFTT was registered as organisation in 2016 but only became functional in 2018 with the cake exhibition being its first event. Apart from Jackson, the board’s other directors are Selwyn Wickham and Janice Quashie Charles. To assist with the planning of the event they have recruited Giselle David and Wendy Maynard.

The key functions of the SCFTT is to provide technical support to the member body, to provide training and certification for new entrants in the sugar craft industry and to provide advance training for those who would like to enhance or sharpen their skills in that vocation.

Jackson said: “To date we have 60 registered members with many more waiting to be registered. We believe that after the event we would have approximately 150 members on board.

For the expo itself Jackson said they have approximately 80 cakes registered for exhibition with people still waiting to put a cake in the show. But space is limited so some may not be able to get their cakes on display.

She said the attendees being targeted are wedding/event planners, culinary teachers, culinary students, bakers, caterers, retailers of relevant tools and equipment and certifying institutions like National Training Agency (NTA) and YTEPP.

Jackson said, “We hope that at the end of the show the member body will form a cohesive network that includes proprietors of cake shops that retail tools, accessories and other gadgets relevant to the industry. Currently there is a What’sApp group chat where persons get information and solutions from others with respect to problems they may be experiencing while decorating, or where to get certain items etc. I look at it as a little village where everyone looks out for each other. I like the love that I feel there.”

Jackson said ultimately, the goal of the SCFTT is to elevate the institution to international standards in more than one way. “We have to look at our business model, the rules and regulations which we set for ourselves and membership and by keeping abreast with changes in the industry. We would also like to identify the training needs of our members and be able to meet those needs using professional standard methods of training. We are actually having preliminary discussions at the board level with regards to becoming the certifying institution for persons in this industry, but in order to bring that into fruition we would have to expand the discussion group to include personnel from recognised certifying institutions in TT.”