A WEDDING cake maker who decided to create a cake honesty box stall has turned it into a successful venture following increased demand for her products.

Jodie Long, of Old Hall Farm based on Old Hall Road, decided to start an honesty box system with her cakes during the pandemic when the wedding cake business dried up due to coronavirus.

The 35-year-old believes that the increase in walkers during the pandemic was the reason for this increase in business which led her to create the Little Cake Hut.

"It is fully stocked with cakes, traybakes, Cumbrian Cow ice cream and treats," the mother-of-two said. "But due to the success it went a little bit crazy, and we had people queuing up for cakes.

"So, we had to do contactless collection in the end."

The team now have the hut which provides walkers on the Cumbrian Way - which starts in The Gill - with treats en route as the path goes directly through their farm.

"I love baking and the fact that my job just stopped was devastating," she continued.

"It has been great because people have said that they have never come down this way before despite living in Ulverston their entire lives. One person even told me that the fact there is the prospect of cakes on the walk now has led to her teenage son to go along for walks.

"We are a short walk from the Gill car park in Ulverston, approximately a two-mile round trip through woodland and farm land with some pretty waterfalls along the way. This makes it a perfect walk for families and also bringing people into the town."

The hut is still struggling to keep up with demand on the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday when they are open, but adding to this, Mrs Long's wedding cake business - Happy Tiers - has taken off again and she is now taking bookings up to 2023.

She still makes all the cakes for the hut but has Katie and Joanne to help her with the demand.

There is plenty going on for her and husband Andrew anyway without the hut and the wedding cakes as their dairy farm has them looking after 200 cows who they use to supply Sainsbury's with milk.

This may seem like a lot for just one farm to cope with, but Jodie takes it in her stride as she explains that she loves the farm lifestyle as well as her baking, and judging by the popularity of the venture, the public love the produce they make.

"We just love the lifestyle of farm life," she said.

"It is more of a lifestyle than a job, but we would not have it any other way."

They have a dedicated outdoor seating area with picnic benches and their cows can been seen on the field, and they are always looking to say hello to customers trying their famous millionaire’s shortbread.