A woman from Manchester has baked a massive 6ft cake depicting a nurse hugging Santa to thank NHS staff for their work on the frontlines during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
And the creation has since been seen by tens of thousands of people online over the past weekend.
Rosie Dummer, 53, spent two weeks painstakingly preparing the incredible cake – which served up 1,200 portions and weighed in at more than 30 stone – after she was asked to create it for Channel 5’s Amazing Cakes and Bakes, which will air later this month.
The mum-of-four said she completed the cake in “record time” after spending up to 16 hours a day moulding, crafting and sculpting it.
The 6ft tall creation is titled ‘A Hug for Christmas’.
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The chocolate cake – which features a life-size Santa sharing a wholesome embrace with a nurse dressed in full PPE – is soaked in orange syrup, with each of its 17 layers boasting a chocolate orange frosting.
The dessert has about 360,000 calories in total.
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The impressive creation was then presented to NHS workers at the Royal Bolton Hospital on 4th December, and went on to feed 1,200 members of staff.
Giving an insight into the process of creating the impressive cake, Rosie Drummer said: “This year has been such a strange and difficult year for everyone, but the NHS staff have been absolute heroes through it all.
“We all used to clap on Thursdays and in the last few months we’ve all been trying to get back to some sort of normality, but they’ve still been saving lives on the front line.
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“They haven’t stopped and I feel like it’s important to remind ourselves of all they’ve done and to thank them.
“I’m thrilled it made people feel emotional – we titled it ‘A Hug for Christmas’ and I think this applies to everyone. I think we all need a big hug.
“It was my mum’s birthday on Saturday, and I just started thinking about how lovely it would be to hug her. I think we all feel a little bit helpless sometimes, because we can’t directly help these nurses or hospital staff, but I want to help in the only way I know how – with some time and a bit of icing.
“I just want to say thank you.”
Rosie Drummer / Royal Bolton Hospital
Rosie – who only started baking after she left the army, where she was the first female helicopter pilot in the British military – said this cake was the trickiest she’s attempted so far.
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It even left her working until 4am on some nights.
Andy Ennis – Chief Operating Officer at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust – added: “We were delighted with Rosie’s kind gesture. It has put such a smile on people’s faces after what has been a tough year for our staff.
“The cake was absolutely incredible, and also very tasty,
“Thank you, Rosie.”
Staff at the Royal Bolton Hospital and from across the organisation had a very special treat on Friday, when extreme cake maker Rosie Dummer delivered them a 6 foot cake for Christmas.
You can catch the cake featured on a Christmas episode of Amazing Cakes and Bakes on Channel 5 on Saturday 12th December.
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Manchester has been named one of the most ‘affordable’ cities in the UK – this is why
Emily Sergeant
A list of the top 10 most affordable cities in the UK has been revealed, and Manchester has made the cut for one very specific reason.
On a bit of a budget? Aren’t we all.
The cost of living crisis has been raging on for quite a few years now, and unfortunately, despite how much we all wish for it to, it doesn’t appear to be slowing down – with prices for everyday items, especially typical fridge and cupboard stables, shooting up by the day, even though supermarkets are showing efforts to prevent it.
And it’s the noticeable price increases in groceries that led delivery insurance provider, Street Cover, to uncover which UK cities don’t strain your food shopping budgets too much just yet.
As it was found that food and non-alcoholic drinks inflation reached 1.3% this past summer, a new study has revealed that Sheffield is officially the most affordable city in the UK, with several other northern locations on the list.
Manchester has been named one of the most ‘affordable’ cities in the UK / Credit: MCC | Aldi
The study compared the 2026 Grocery Index for the largest UK cities with the UK average, as well as available 2025 Grocery Indices, to track the changes in food affordability.
The cities are ranked by the index difference from the national average – which is 67.3 – but the report also uses direct monetary values for a grocery basket to provide some additional context too.
Manchester took sixth place on the list, with an average grocery basket price of £23.08, while some of the other northern cities in the top 10, besides Sheffield at number one, include Liverpool, Leeds, and Newcastle.
Top 10 Most Affordable UK Cities For Groceries
Sheffield
Milton Keynes
Liverpool
Reading
Newcastle
Manchester
Leeds
Bristol
Cardiff
Southampton
As the only other North West city in the top 10, Liverpool may have come in third place overall, but the study found that the grocery bill here is the smallest in terms of actual monetary numbers – with it setting shoppers back £22.08 for a regular supermarket basket, which is a whole £1 cheaper than in Manchester.
“Data shows households in the North East of England have the lowest average food spend in the country, around 11% below the UK average, while Yorkshire sits 6.6% below,” Al Taylor, who is the Head of Street Cover, commented on the study’s findings.
“Sheffield’s position at the top reflects lower property costs for retailers, less competition from premium chains, and a supermarket landscape dominated by value-led options.
“The practical implication for household budgets is significant – the difference between budget and premium shopping can easily be £1,000 or more per year for a family, which can be spent on other things or saved for future plans.”
Featured Image – Aldi
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Mancs wanted to take part in a new series of the ‘hardest quiz show on TV’
Emily Sergeant
Call yourself a clever clogs? The BBC is currently looking for contestants to take part in what is widely considered the hardest quiz show on TV.
That’s right – Only Connect is back for another series on BBC Two.
Presented by Victoria Coren Mitchell and first broadcast all the way back in 2008, Only Connect takes TV quizzing to the next level, as it sees two teams compete against each other by finding connections between seemingly unrelated clues.
In this quiz show – which viewers have dubbed one of the most challenging there is – knowledge only takes you so far, as the ability to think laterally is also deemed ‘vitally important’.
A casting call for the upcoming 2027 series has been shared on the BBC website, with people from Greater Manchester encouraged to apply.
Mancs wanted to take part in a new series of the ‘hardest quiz show on TV’ / Credit: BBC
The casting call reads: “The popular BBC Two quiz show presented by Victoria Coren Mitchell returns for a new series in 2027.
“Only Connect is seeking teams of three players OR single applicants or teams of two looking for like-minded teammates to pool their combined wits to solve fiendish conundrums and vexing puzzles.
“This is the quiz series where, as in life itself, knowledge will only take you so far: patience and lateral thinking are also vital. It’s all about making connections between things which may appear, at first glance, not to be connected at all.”
Reckon you’ve got what it takes then? Applications are now open, and all applicants must be aged 18 or over and a resident in the UK or Channel Islands.
Emily Sergeant -
7th December 2020 
