Hello Ceri!

Big news everyone! The incredibly talented Ceri Griffiths is coming to ISAC this November, all the way from the UK! Chef Nicholas and Ceri have known each other for years, but this will be the very first time that Ceri will be teaching at ISAC in Studio B! Ceri Griffiths, author of the award winning book “Border Inspirations 1&2” and internationally recognized English over-piping expert, will be teaching his English Over-Piped Elegant Wedding Cake class. This is an intensive 2-day royal icing class. Ceri will share with you several of his piped borders, his method of creating toothpick roses and many hints and tips to achieve beautiful work in royal icing.

This class is aimed at students who have previous piping skills due to the volume of piping involved and the pace of the class.

THIS IS NOT A BEGINNERS CLASS!!!

English Over-Piped Elegant Wedding Cake. Photo — Nicholas Lodge Ceri Griffiths

There is a lot to learn in this class. Ceri will be teaching his students many different techniques and skills, including six different piped borders, mirrored or symmetrical piping, stacked line work, draped line work, piped dots, toothpick/cocktail stick roses, piped leaves, cake mapping, and finally, making and creating templates. As I said, this class is not for the faint of heart. Previous experience in royal icing is a must! This class is being held November 7-8, 2018. As always, lunch and all necessary tools will be provided.

So, now you know all about what is being taught in this class, but what about Ceri himself? I myself was not familar with Ceri before last year when he partnered with Katy Sue Designs to design molds for the Creative Cake System line (I even wrote a blog post about it!).Through preparing this class for all of you I have learned a great deal about Ceri!

As a widely traveled teacher, demonstrator, international judge, show host, TV presenter and award winning author, Ceri believes that sharing knowledge and skills is the only way in which cake artistry will grow.

Ceri’s journey so far has taken him from baker and confectioner to professional dancer, cake artist and much more, Ceri’s own eclectic style of design and flare is made up from the elements of his life, and what an interesting life.

As a professional dancer Ceri was formally trained in ballet and contemporary however the call of musical theatre was the strongest and he performed around the world in shows from “42 Street” to “Chorus Line”, from TV and movies to tours with Danny La Rue and Craig Revel Horwood.

Upon retiring as a dancer Ceri once again took up the reins of a full time cake decorator doing both commissions for clients and corporate orders. Ceri first reached the public eye in 2008 when his competition entries were regularly winning gold medals and his work started appearing in International magazines.

They say everything goes in cycles and nothing could be truer than with cake artistry as it is strongly influenced by many things from fashion to celebrities, architecture to art. Sharing knowledge and skills about bakery, confectionery, cake decorating and design is Ceri’s passion.

In 2016 Ceri Griffiths started working in association with Katy Sue Designs on a collection of exciting and innovative new moulds for use with cakes, cupcakes and cookies.

Launching next month, in February 2018, Ceri will share his experiences and views in his roving video reports. Perhaps he will make a roving video report from this class at ISAC!! For more information about Ceri, his blog and his videos, please visit his website at www.cerigriffiths.com

A Letter from Ceri:

I have been a teacher for over thirty years and with that title comes a responsibility, a responsibility to nurture raw passion and talent and help guide it to its potential and beyond. I personally feel that first and foremost a teacher needs to be honest with their students, students are not stupid they know when you’re trying to fool them. You will earn more respect by pointing out your own flaws before someone else exaggerates them, all out of proportion, trying to ruin your reputation. I always make it very clear to anyone who hires me to teach or plans to come to one of my classes that I am a commercial cake decorator with years of experience working within the bakery and confectionery world. I refer to traditional skills in class however I’m normally trying to find ways of getting a traditionally stylish look using quicker and more commercially viable methods. I’m known for royal icing skills however there is very little call for traditional royal icing in the commercial world due to its time consuming and labour intensive processes. If royal icing, or the look of royal icing, is to survive the test of time, it has to adapt
Taking one of my classes is not just about reproducing a class project, for me it is a chance to share knowledge and experiences, tricks and tips, product knowledge, judging tips to help students gain higher marks at competition level, resources and to recommend my students to other tutors who can take their chosen skills to the next level.

Never once have I listed a class of mine as a masterclass, that is a label other schools or hosts have put onto my classes when I’ve been booked to teach for them to attract more students. Many times when I have been booked to teach, the students have compiled a wish list of skills they would like to be introduced to, often there are requested skills on that list that I’ve not used for many years, I do my research, I practice these skills and make sure the students are fully aware that although I know what the finished results should be from my years of judging experience I may not be able to reproduce that high standard in the short time class conditions allow.

Anyone’s best work is done when they are alone and concentrating, the next time you create something try talking out loud and explaining everything you are demonstrating, the reasons behind the way you’re doing it, the possible finer points to achieve and all whilst watching the students for the subtle signs that they may not fully understand you but are too embarrassed to ask questions……not easy is it.

Whilst you are teaching you not only have to finish the class project yourself, you have to be ahead of the students, watch all of the students to see if they need support, keep the pace of the class moving to a timely completion, make sure you’re prepared for the next stage of the class and that all of the suppliers are ready. When you teach at some venues a teacher may even be responsible for laying out lunch, writing certificates, promoting certain products and even making sure the washroom has supplies.

I feel respect is a huge part of being a teacher, you must respect your students and listen to what they have to say before jumping in with a response, you must have patience, you must step back and let students make mistakes as no one really learns when the tutor keeps doing bits of the class project to help the student, only help when the student truly needs it. Students trust the tutor to steer them in the right direction and their respect is earned and not demanded.

Many tutors are given the status of mentor by their students, this is an important responsibility. A true mentor works with a student to develop their gift, a true mentor is honest about their students achievements but only delivers feedback in a constructive way, a true mentor knows when to push a student but equally knows when to let them find their own pace.

A teacher who spends their time telling the world that they are the best is very likely wrong, the best teachers and cake artists are those who quietly work diligently perfecting their art and let others judge if they are the best or not. I personally feel that true teachers are humble, they are there to hold a hand, answer questions, share knowledge and celebrate achievements no matter how large or small.

I am often accused of over-sharing my skills and knowledge, but I feel honour bound to share as much as I know, I learnt my skills and techniques from others through my own formal training and working life, too many of our valuable skills have been lost because their owners took them to the grave.

I am excited by my students achievements, by giving a person knowledge you allow that knowledge to be expanded upon by a new imagination, we are constantly developing new products, skills, and techniques many based upon historical roots, or developed by unsung heroes of cake that were around before the Internet, who knows what the next student will develop that will change our world of cake artistry.

I’m known for the skill of piping royal icing, I strive constantly to keep those traditional skills alive by pushing them in new directions. I am criticised by many for the way in which I blend different mediums and techniques with royal icing but I believe that unless you adapt to the times you might as well just give up. You may work with pastes, moulds, mats, cutters, veiners, sugars in various forms to make our own special creations but I think most will agree that the elegance of royal icing has a romance and nostalgia matched by no other.

If I, with my commercial cake decorating background, can introduce a student to a new skill which opens up a whole new world to them then I’ve achieved my goal.

I’ve never claimed to be the best, I’m certainly not the worst, but what I am is someone who is willing to nurture a students burgeoning talent, to be honest about what I can teach and to what standard, I’m willing to admit my flaws and share my mistakes………I am a teacher, hopefully a good role model and a mentor to those who choose me to be.

A very good friend of mine once told me “as soon as you raise your head above the poppies they’ll shoot you down”, well I hope my critics have lots of ammunition because I’m not going anywhere and I’m certainly not going to be intimidated.

Thank you world for giving me the gift to teach.

Ceri Griffiths

There you have it my friends. I am sure that this class with be a huge hit with all of our students. Ceri is an excellent teacher, and his piping skills are dazzling. Come join Ceri and the ISAC family for English Over-Piped Elegant Wedding Cakes!

Sweetly yours,

Stephanie