Meet Nicholas Lodge: Master Cake Artist and pastry Chef

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicholas Lodge and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicholas, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
Passion and perseverance

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Chef Nicholas Lodge

I am a professionally trained pastry chef who studied a tThe National Bakery School in Londaon, England. Upon graduation I became the Principal Wedding Cake Designer at one of Englands top sugar art schools where I created cakes for high-end London hotels, including The Ritz, Claridges and The Savoy.

From the age of 19 to 21 I happened to be at the right place at the right time and was involved with creating one of the 24 official wedding cakes for the wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Diana. This work for the Royal family lead to me designing and creating the birthday cake for the Queen’s Mother’s 80th birtday and the baby christining cake for Prince Harry.

This media exposure introducted me to one of the major UK book publishers who approached me to write a book on my style of cake decorating. This all began in the early and mid 1980’s and I have traveled teaching and writting ever since.

I was looking for a change of location when I attended a cake show here in the United States in 1988 and made the decision to relocate to the states. I had narrowed my decision dowm to either Seattle, Washington or Atlanta, Georgia. I decided on Atlanta due to the International airport that would allow me to take a non-stop flight to just about any location in the world, and moved here in 1990 and opend my school, “The International Sugar Art Collection” in 1992.

During the last three decades I have written over two dozen books, produced many instructional DVD’s, and eleven clases on the “Craftsy” platform, more than any other cake decorator. I have been the spoke person for several world-wide distributors of cake related products. I hold classes at my classroom in Norcross, Georgia as well as locations around the globe. I have conducted classes in 26 countries. Currently I am part of the pastry faculity at “The French Pastry School” in Chicago, Illinios when I teach part of the ten-week professional cake and baking decorating course.

My real passon is teaching. When I have a classroom of students, eager to learn, truly excites me.

I addition to my classroom, the Norcross, Georgia location houses offices, warehouse, my product line and distribution point. I have developed and manufacture a number of items that I use in my classes and these are sold through our website (www.nicholaslodge.com) around the globe.

I am know for my botanically correct gumpste (or sugarpaste) flowers. These flowers look real and are made of a sugar dough that is edible. I’m saught our for my classes on gumpaste flowers.

I work closely with “Katy Sue Designs” located in the UK who manufacture high-quality siicone molds used in creating gumpaste flowers and rolled fondant covered cake decorations.

The current Covid-19 pandemic put a stop to my travel, classes and teaching. Working closely with Katy Sue Designs we have started a on-line instructional course on creating a wide variety of gumpaste flowers. Each week students enrolled in the course have available new material on some aspect of creating a gumpaste flower. In the spring we created dogwood and tulips. Right now, students are making Southern magnolias, which is a stunning flower when presented on a cake.

You may learn more about me, my school, etc. on my webiste at www.nicholaslodge.com
Click on ABOUT US

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Atlanta has a host of interesting historical places to vist. I enjoy shopping and dinning at Ponce and Crog City Markets.
A walk in the historic downtown Norcross Park and then lunch or dinner at one of the many interesting location on Main Street. And not visit to Norcross is complete with out a quick stop in “Taste of Britian” to stock up on some of my favorite British foods from my homeland. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My parents who believed in me and thought I should follow my dreams and made it possible in a boys school to be giver permission to take home economics and cookery with the girls from the girls school instead of wood and metal work with my class mates

Website: http://www.nicholaslodge.com

Instagram: Chef Nichoals Lodge

Twitter: Chef Lodge

Facebook: Chef Nicholas Lodge

Youtube: YouTube.com/NicholasLodgeSchool

Other: www.nicholaslodge.in for information on the new FlexiPaste that I have developed for the cake decorating community

Image Credits
All of the photographs were taken by my business partner and you have permission to use them.