Cake is a treat. I was a qualified teacher in English and Maths and then I did business consultancy. I was like a business doctor, going out and finding out what the problems were and finding solutions. And then life changes brought me to this, which I got into by accident, totally by accident. It’s the most rewarding job that I’ve ever had.

I split up with a partner after 20 years and I sold both my house and my business and bought a one way ticket to go travelling in Canada. Then my first love, Paul, contacted me after thirty years and said “Remember me?”. I ended up not going to Canada, marrying Paul and then thinking “what am I going to do now?”

I started making cakes as a hobby, for friends and family, which then went to friends of friends. Then somebody approached me and asked if I wanted a shop, which I didn’t, it was the other side of Leeds. I went to look anyway and fell in love with it. So I went to college for two years full time and learnt how to do cake decorating. To be honest, I’ve learnt more since being in the shop, but it was about taking that leap of faith in myself because it was a huge risk.

I wish I’d found cake decorating when I was at school, I wish they’d encouraged it, because it’s a huge industry, it’s a billion pound industry and it’s so rewarding. I have good qualifications and good grades, but I didn’t necessarily enjoy school and I know now that it was because school didn’t bring out the creative side of me.

The cake shop has gotten busier and busier. We have corporate events, we do cake decorating classes and we’ve worked with schools, with children that want something other than school. I absolutely love being involved in that.

I now have McHales cafe and the cake shop next door. I want to take it slowly to make sure what we’re doing we keep doing.