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LSBU graduate wins Champion City Baker title

Clay Niccum, a graduate of LSBU's National Bakery School, has won the title of "Champion City Baker" after his healthy wheat and dairy-free peanut butter cupcakes were given the top prize by judges Frances Quinn, winner of the 2013 Great British Bake Off, and Lord Mayor of the City of London Fiona Woolf.

 Baking Technology Management graduate Clay Niccum entered his peanut butter cupcakes with dark chocolate ganache in the Great Guildhall Cupcake Bake Off competition on 11 July, and was judged not only by The Lord Mayor of the City of London Fiona Woolf, but also 2013 'Great British Bake Off' Champion Frances Quinn.


Clay believes that his cupcake creations had the edge over his rivals, as they are both wheat-free and dairy-free. All the mouth-watering products from Clay's baking business Cheeky by Nature – based at LSBU's Clarence Centre for Enterprise and Innovation – are developed with the same ethos, that eating healthily doesn't have to be dull.

Having opened his bakery business in London, Clay now plans to open another in his native California.  He feels the connections and skills he gained from the National Bakery School will be vital to his success.

Talking about the competition, Clay said: "To be given the title of Champion City Baker is fantastic proof that the growing craze for nutritious, delicious choices is here to stay.

"It would not have been possible for me to open Cheeky by Nature without the practical, industry specific skills I developed through LSBU's National Bakery School and the subsequent support I have had from the University's Enterprise team."

Founded in 1894, LSBU's National Bakery School is the oldest bakery school in the world. Today, it enjoys an international reputation for courses designed in consultation with leading heads of industry.