IT'S official! The Cottage Kitchen's cakes are the cream of the crop.

The cake connoisseurs in Fore Street, Kingsbridge, have made it through to the national finals in ITV's 'Britain's best bakery'.

Last Friday, viewers saw Nicola Barlow and Phil Cooling of The Cottage Kitchen go head-to-head with three other bakeries for the title of the best South West bakery.

Upon learning they had beaten the other bakeries and are now in the national finals representing the best of the South West, Nicola, owner of The Cottage Kitchen, said: 'I'm absolutely thrilled to bits.

'I'm so glad that all the hard work has paid off. It is great to have it recognised.'

For the regional finals each bakery had to present an afternoon tea and a coffee and walnut cake with a coffee butter cream to judges Mitch Turner and Peter Sidewell.

The judges complemented the bakery on the pristine presentation of their afternoon tea and judge Peter Sidewell said that it was ' a countrified afternoon tea and was like a little culinary adventure through Devon.'

Nicola explained that all of their ingredients were locally sourced, from the Heron Valley cider in their cider cakes and Langage Farm clotted cream in their cream teas to the Salcombe salmon in their boxed sandwiches.

Despite having a slight 'error of judgement' on the chocolate collar on their coffee and walnut cake which Nicola now 'has perfected', the judges said: 'It is a wonderful coffee cake, packed full of flavour. Loved the chocolate covered coffee beans on top. Cottage kitchen have the technical skill and flair for flavours.'

Nicola and Phil are now looking forward to National Finals Week, which kicks off on Monday, February 10, with two days of tense high stakes challenges, as the final five bakeries from around the UK slug it out in the competition which culminates in a grand final.

From baking Chelsea buns for the Chelsea pensioners, to creating one hundred sweet and savoury items for Henley festivalgoers, only three can make it through. Judge Mitch who has an MBE for services to the catering industry, rounded off the programme with: 'The Cottage Kitchen has the bit in the teeth and they could go all the way.'