A vegan chef prodigy has baked his way into the final of a national competition - with a recipe to go nuts for.
William Hibbitts, of Cantley, is just 12-years-old, but already he has the know-how of a Mary Berry - all without the use of animal products.
His own recipe for a peanut butter sponge cake with peanut buttercream filling has secured him a place in the final 12 of the Peta Great Vegan Bake Off 2016.
William first became a vegan around a year ago, due to his love for animals. He has since worked to perfect different recipes without using anything from an animal - and has his own blog, The Vegan Kid.
He said: “I’m really excited that my cake has made the final because the competition is so high - winning would be so cool.
“I love cooking vegan food and want to spread the vegan message and make other people realise you can make amazing food without using animal products, as I never even want to hurt animals, let alone eat them.”
William’s recipe is one of a variety the youngster has designed himself, as well as adapting non-vegan recipes to suit his diet.
He added: “Everybody in my family except my sister Kittie really loves peanut butter, so I thought I would try and make a cake with that in it. My dad said it was the best cake he’d ever had, so entered it in the competition.
“I’ve always loved baking, I learned from my mum, who has been a vegan herself for three years.”
Now William - who is home-schooled - is hoping he will be able to build a cooking career of his own, following in the footsteps of his favourite chefs, Paul Hollywood, Mary Berry and Gordon Ramsay.
Mum Michelle said: “His father and I are both so proud of him - I think his baking is just great.
“To start with I used to bake with him, but now I just get given a list of ingredients and off he goes. He researches his own recipes and is very talented.”
To vote for William’s recipe, click here. Voting closes on Monday.
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