I’ve loved baking from a young age, baking with my nan when I visited in school holidays. My favourite was her lemon drizzle loaf which I loved helping her make. Whenever I bake this now, the smell always reminds me of my favourite childhood memories.

​I've continued baking for friends and family and back in 2012 my wife convinced me to enter a baking competition for the Liverpool Food & Drink Festival ‘The Great Merseyside Bake Off’.

With absolutely no expectations at all, I entered the competition with a family favourite, tarte au citron which sent me through to the main competition.

I didn’t have a clue what to expect, or what I’d be baking and to say I was a bit nervous would be a massive understatement! And if that wasn’t enough, I would be baking in front of massive crowds, cameras and Paul Hollywood!

My first challenge was chocolate fondants which I’d never made before, but the baking gods were smiling down on me and I turned out the most perfectly baked fondants with a gooey centre and sailed through to the finals.

My final bake to clinch the title was a lemon soufflé, again something I’d never attempted before, but thankfully like me, they managed to rise to the occasion!

Since then, I’ve continued baking for friends and family, from traditional family favourites, celebration cakes and also wedding cakes and now hope you will enjoy my bakes too.