A cake maker from Harpenden has been shortlisted in a national wedding award scheme.

Liz Thompson, 48, who runs Queen of Herts Cakes of Manland Road has been chosen from hundreds of entries and is now in the final ten of her category; wedding cake designer of the hitched.co.uk Breakthrough Awards.

A delighted Liz said: "Diagnosed with MS in 2009 and no longer able to continue with my corporate career with Burberry by 2011, I decided to fundraise for the MS Trust.

"As a passionate cake maker, a Cupcake Garden Fete was the obvious answer, introducing me to cake decorating which I absolutely loved.

"My husband and family encouraged me with cake decorating books and a sugar craft course and I discovered a talent for cake decorating that I never knew existed.

"Since then I have completed several training courses and set up Queen of Herts Cakes in April 2012."

She added: "Since developing a passion for cake design the world looks entirely different and I love the challenges the brides ask me to do.

" I even got to provide a birthday cake to one of the team working on Brad Pitt’s latest blockbuster ‘Fury’."

The hitched.co.uk Breakthrough Awards (recognise new talent in the wedding industry.

Sixty people (ten in each category) have been shortlisted by judges in six categories: wedding cake design, wedding floristry, wedding stationery, wedding photography, wedding hair styling and honeymoon hotels.

The 60 shortlisted have been narrowed down from hundreds of entries from all over the country with Jenny Royle, Editor of the Wedding Cakes Magazine selecting the ten cake finalists.

Following the success of the Cupcake Garden Fete, Liz still supports the MS Trust and hosts a Charity Garden Party at her home every year in September. It is now in their fourth year and welcomes more than 200 guests. She has raised in excess of £5000 for MS Trust, Help for Heroes and Parkinsons UK.

To vote for Liz, simply go to www.hitched.co.uk/HBA/vote and click on Liz Thompson, Queen of Herts Cakes in the wedding cake designer category.