There is something very satisfying when you real a competition schedule and find a class that really inspires you. Ideas about what you can do and how to do it run round in your mind for ages before the actual planning begins and finally the piece is finished and ready for the scrutiny of the judges.

Sometimes in the excitement of the planning however, something in the schedule is missed and the piece you have worked so hard on does not actually fit the criteria for the class and is deemed ‘Not to Schedule’ and the judges can’t mark it. Judges HATE to do this.

We have all competed and know how disappointing it is for a competitor when this happens. This article will try to help you, the competitor avoid some of the pitfalls.

READ THE SCHEDULE – READ THE SCHEDULE – READ THE SCHEDULE – We can’t say it enough……

Not just the details for the class which excites you but the whole thing from cover to cover and pay particular attention to the rules section. Note the closing date and make sure your entry is on time. If the rules say that feathers are not allowed don’t use them on anything.

DUMMIES – Dummies are allowed in place of cake for the following classes only:

1B – Royal Iced cake / 3A & 3B – Celebration cakes / 6 – Sculpted Centrepiece / 7A & 7B – Wedding Cakes / 8 – Team Category / 7C – Children 13 – 16 years.

CHECK YOUR SIZES – If the schedule says to fit in a base area of 12 inches make sure that the board or base of the exhibit will fit in a 12 inch square and there are NO parts of the piece which stick out to make the piece wider than 12 inches at any point in your overall exhibit. Often this happens with floral pieces. Do not drape fabric round the board for effect as this then makes the base wider than 12 inches. These are the little mistakes which then make a piece ‘Not to Schedule‘. If the class does not stipulate a height restriction it can be as tall as you like.

HEALTH AND SAFETY – Sharp objects must NEVER be inserted into the surface of a cake (or a dummy representing a cake) or any item designed to be eaten. This includes wires, pins, cocktail sticks or anything else which may possible break in the cake and cause harm to a person eating it. Food grade posy picks should be used to hold the wires or flowers for example. Dowels used for supports should be food grade plastic and not wood. Any exhibit which breaks this rule will be deemed ‘Not to Schedule’.

COVERING THE EDGE OF YOUR CAKE DRUM/BOARD – Where ribbon or trim is used to cover the edge of a board it can be done neatly using glue or double-sided tape. Do not use pins.

ARTIFICIAL DECORATIONS – If the schedule states NO ARTIFICIAL DECORATIONS ALLOWED then everything on the piece MUST be made of an edible medium. This means NO wired flowers, NO stamens, NO thread, NO floristry tape, NO oasis or staysoft, NO moss and most importantly NO ribbon. One of the most common reasons for pieces to be ‘Not to Schedule’ is that the competitor has put ribbon round the cake where is states that no artificial decoration is allowed.

DUSTS, SPARKLES AND COLOURS – This is the thing that catches most competitors out. There are some fabulous glittery products on the market but a lot of these are not EDIBLE but are NON-TOXIC. The difference between the two is that an edible product is eaten and digested by the body whereas a non-toxic product is not designed to be eaten, but if it is, it will pass through the body without any ill effect and come out unchanged.

Many sequins and cake jewellery products are non-toxic but what is an unwary customer breaks a tooth on something they thought was edible, who do they sue? Many metallic colours, sparkles and gold and silver paint type products are NON-TOXIC which is not the same as EDIBLE. Whilst in theory it should be fine to use these on pieces which are not designed to be eaten, such as flowers, these items often do come in contact with a cake coating and therefore should be avoided.

For pieces entered into competition, the schedule will state that ‘any gold, silver or other metallic colour/dust/glitter/paint MUST be edible and this MUST be stated on the packaging of the product’.

Unbreakable gel, real gold and silver leaf are all EDIBLE products and may be used on cakes. However competitors should be aware that some gold leaf products available for craft work are NOT gold leaf but an aluminium product which is NOT edible. If you look on the internet there are websites which sell ONLY edible gold and silver decorative items and you would be well advised to use these distributors rather than those selling both confectionary and craft items.

Always check the manufacturers label to ensure the product actually says EDIBLE before using it. This schedule asks that metallic dusts, paint, lustre or glitter used on cakes will ONLY be accepted if the product used is made available showing the manufacturers label stating it is EDIBLE. The product should be put in an envelope or outer covering (so as not to construe advertising) and placed next to the exhibit with the competitors entry number clearly displayed. If suspect products are not supplied then the piece will be deemed ‘Not to Schedule’. Any EDIBLE product will state EDIBLE and have a list of ingredients on either the pot of packaging.

LISTS – Where a list of ingredients is required for Royal Icing Open, all ingredients must be listed and placed beside your exhibit. Without the list the entry will be deemed ‘Not to Schedule’. If a floral exhibit asks for a list of flowers with common or Latin names make sure this is provided. These lists are as much a part of the exhibit as the decorative piece. The entry is incomplete without them and therefore ‘Not to Schedule’.

FLORAL CLASSES – For an arrangement try to hide the mechanics (the supporting medium) but be careful not to use any material not allowed in the schedule.

I hope I have provided competitors with some useful hints on how to conform to the schedule and look forward to seeing many entries in the upcoming competitions. Happy competing!

Jan Thorpe, British Sugarcraft Guild Judge.