HEAD pastry chef Alistair Walklett has created a real festive show-stopper with his gingerbread house.

Alistair is part of the team at The Mere Golf Resort and Spa, and has produced a spectacular gingerbread home measuring five feet wide and 2.5 feet tall.

The gingerbread construction, complete with internal and external light fittings, and even a number of MEREkats, took 62 hours to create, and comprises 3,100 pieces.

Alistair joined The Mere Resort team in November, with an impressive background as head pastry chef for a number of five-star hotels including Claridge’s, The Savoy Grill and Luton Hoo.

With a passion for fine dining and artistic presentation, Alistair spent several months planning the build of the gingerbread house.

“Gingerbread has kind of gone out of fashion, so I wanted to bring back the tradition but on a show-stopping scale,” he said.

Alistair spent 12 hours baking the individual walls and pieces of the house, followed by about 28 hours decorating and hand-crafting the 2,000 sugar paste roof tiles.

The complete structure weighs about 50kgs and stands 2.5 feet tall.

It will be on display at The Mere Golf Resort and Spa for the next two weeks to add a little extra festive cheer to resort guests.