St Albans gingerbread enthusiast creates replicas of city's pubs

Nikki Wills, who originates from the USA, moved to St Albans three years ago and was immediately taken by its community and English pubs.

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So far, she has produced gingerbread versions of The Boot, The White Hart Tap, The Lower Red Lion and Ye Olde Fighting Cocks.

A gingerbread enthusiast and CEO of her own company, Tikkido, Nikki told The Herts Advertiser of her inspiration for the project. 

She began: "I've been doing gingerbread my entire life.

Nikki's version of Market Place's The Boot pub. (Image: Nikki Wills)

"I typically make around one hundred gingerbread houses for every kid in my daughters' classes, then the Woodcraft Folk and the Girl Scouts, freinds and family.

"So I make a lot of gingerbread!

"I competed on the Food Network in the United States, in the 2018 Holiday Gingerbread Showdown.

Nikki's replica of 'Britain's oldest pub'. (Image: Nikki Wills)

"I love gingerbread, I love making gingerbread. I make all of these houses for kids to decorate all the time, but I really love to have a creative project of my own.

"I just thought 'all these beautiful pubs in the area, that have such interesting architecture and are so meaningful'."

A gingerbread replica of Keyfield Terrace's White Hart Tap. (Image: Nikki Wills)

On settling in St Albans, the University of Iowa graduate spoke of the community and feel of the city.

Nikki continued: "I was an airforce kid, so I moved all around, and we moved to St Albans about three years ago.

"Honestly, no place has felt so much like a home to me.

"This community, I feel so much more connected to than almost any place that I have lived before. Probably more than any place that I have lived before.

Nikki confirmed that pub staff were pleasantly surprised to see their pubs in gingerbread form. (Image: Nikki Wills)

"I think part of that is really this wonderful pub culture!

"England is so good at its pub culture but St Albans is, of course, famous for it.

"There are these incredible historic pubs, and it really is a community living room that you get to know your neighbours and make friends.

"I just wanted to honour that.

"I wanted to give back a little bit, to this community that has come to mean so much to me."

Nikki's recipes and free gingerbread templates can be found on the Tikkido website (www.tikkido.com).