With more and more people around the UK choosing to open up a cake baking business, it’ll come as great news to hear that two mothers in Hurworth have been head-hunted by a five star restaurant, when the lead chef tasted their wares on a school playground.

Erica Royle and Lucy Clark had left their day jobs just a year before to become cake bakers full time, and had been working hard when they bumped into TV chef Kenny Atkinson on a school playground (their kids attend the same school). Having sampled some of their products, Mr Atkinson snapped the pair up, and they’re now part of the team that serve the afternoon teas at The Orangery, Rockliffe Hall.

Speaking to the BBC, Mrs Royle said that ‘We were thrilled. It is the culmination of 12 months' really hard work. Baking scares me sometimes, I've described baking as alchemy, it's magical, it's chemistry. Lucy and I have been friends for a long time and we've always baked. We started baking as a job in October last year. I was in marketing at the time, I've always lived my life thinking if you don't try it you'll never know, and that's how I felt when I left my career to do this.’

The five star baker also said that support from those around her had helped a lot in contributing to her success, and that anyone in their situation thinking about starting their own business should ‘just go for it.’

For more of the latest news from the world of cake baking, and to purchase supplies such as sugar craft from our catalogue, visit the Sugar Shack store here.