A WEDDING centrepiece was saved from disaster by a baker who had just been handed the keys to his new shop.

Andrew Walker took over the property on Newbiggin last Friday with plans to re-open it as a patisserie early next month.

However, he had only been in the premises two hours when he was asked to help repair a cake by a frantic wedding guest.

Kelly Johnson, who lives in Norton, had been driving around the town looking for someone to help following a family emergency.

Her sister’s boyfriend had been injured in an accident leaving her in charge of a half-finished cake.

“My sister Nicola makes cakes as a hobby and she phoned me on Friday to say her boyfriend had been taken to hospital and could I collect the cake from her home in Whitby,” Kelly said.

“By the time I got back to Malton it was falling apart so I was driving around looking for someone to help when I saw that a new shop was opening.”

Kelly added that Andrew had offered to help her and taken the cake home on Friday night ready for her to collect the following morning.

“I haven’t got a creative bone in my body so I was really lucky to find Andrew I can’t thank him enough,” she said.

“The cake was safely delivered to the wedding reception in Harrogate and until they were told, the bride and groom were none the wiser.”

Andrew, who has been in catering for 10 years, said: “The cake had completely collapsed so I took it home and put it back together.

“I will be making celebration cakes, including wedding cakes when the shop opens.

“It was quite funny as I had only just got the keys to the premises but I has happy to help and they were really pleased with it.”