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Bake Off winner Candice Brown unveils 50kg gingerbread model of Heathrow Airport

TV cook builds elaborate model with food artist Michele Wibowo to celebrate festive season

Jack Peat
Tuesday 18 December 2018 17:47 GMT
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Bake Off winner Candice Brown unveils gingerbread model of Heathrow Airport

Great British Bake Off winner Candice Brown has unveiled an elaborate gingerbread model of Heathrow Airport to surprise travelling passengers this Christmas.

The 50kg construction, built in collaboration with food artist Michele Wibowo, was unveiled at Terminal 5 as passenger numbers ramp up ahead of the holidays.

The handmade creation required ten people to install, took more than 200 hours to make and features more than 1,000 gingerbread pieces.

Using more than 20kg of flour, 30kg of sugar, 20kg of butter and thousands of detailed decorations, the mammoth gingerbread structure features four terminals, the runways and the control tower, as well as the much-loved stars of Heathrow’s Christmas advert, Doris and Edward Bair.

Candice Brown, winner of the Great British Bake Off 2016, commented: “There is something very special about the smell of gingerbread at Christmas.

“Gingerbread is a classic recipe that is consistently popular across Europe and making a gingerbread house is a tradition I love to share and keep going.

“I’m excited to see travellers' reactions to this spectacular gingerbread creation."

Great British Bake Off 2016 winner Candice Brown and food artist Michele Wibowo have unveiled a 50kg gingerbread model of Heathrow (Joe Pepler/PinPep)

New research commissioned to coincide with the installation showed that one in four Britons believe the smell of gingerbread is the main scent that reminds them of the festive season.

One gingerbread item is sold every minute at the airport during December, so Heathrow created the gingerbread replica to inspire the nation’s love of this sweet, spicy, festive treat.

Ross Baker, chief commercial officer at Heathrow, said: “Gingerbread is a real festive favourite.

“We are expecting 1 million passengers in the week leading up to Christmas alone, and hope our gingerbread airport will give them a memorable moment on their journey to loved ones.

“We hope it spreads a bit of festive joy to our passengers.”

SWNS

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