Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced on Tuesday that they have selected Claire Ptak, the owner of London-based Violet Bakery, to create a lemon and elderflower cake for the royal wedding on 19 May. The pastry chef has said she is "delighted" to have been assigned the job, and enthused that the royal wedding is "the most exciting event to be a part of". But just who is Claire, and how did she attract the attention of Harry and Meghan? We've rounded up all you need to know…
Who is Claire Ptak?
Claire is an author and food stylist who runs Violet Bakery in London. The talented pastry chef grew up in California, and now serves American-style cupcakes, brownies and pastries at her widely-acclaimed bakery in East London. The talented chef has written a number of cookbooks, including The Violet Bakery Cookbook, and a number of books for the restaurant chain Leon, including Baking & Desserts, and Soups, Salads & Snacks.
Claire Ptak is going to bake the royal wedding cake
What is Violet Bakery?
Violet Bakery is the business Claire opened in 2010, with a focus on using high quality, seasonal and organic ingredients. The business was initially launched as a market stall on Broadway Market, East London, with Claire baking all the cakes from home, but she has now opened her own bakery located in Hackney, East London.
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Why did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle choose Claire to bake their wedding cake?
Meghan previously interviewed Claire Ptak for her former lifestyle website TheTig.com, so it's not surprising she thought of the pastry chef when it came to selecting her wedding cake. The former Suits star was incredibly enthusiastic about Claire's confections, writing: "[Claire] has hit the nail on the head with her London bakery serving up delightful treats that have garnered a cult following (in that ever so civilized British way) in the UK and beyond."
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are having a lemon and elderflower wedding cake
Claire has also said she shares the same values with the couple in a statement released when the news was announced. "I can't tell you how delighted I am to be chosen to make Prince Harry and Ms. Markle's wedding cake," she said. "Knowing that they really share the same values as I do about food provenance, sustainability, seasonality and most importantly flavour, makes this the most exciting event to be a part of."
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What wedding cake have Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chosen?
Prince Harry and Meghan have asked Claire to create a lemon elderflower cake to incorporate the bright flavours of spring. It will be covered with buttercream and decorated with fresh flowers.