I have a friend whose mother always made pudding, based on the theory that at least the children were getting some calcium and vitamins even if they hadn’t eaten the savoury stuff.

The point being that cakes and puddings can be beneficial too. Obviously there are some - egg caramel, shortcake and the like - that are just sugar and fat held together with flour and covered in chocolate.

But in many cases, cakes can be a pleasant way of presenting a whole range of fruit and veg; and the inclusion of these items utilises their natural sugars and reduces the amount of processed sugar required in the recipe.

So let’s stop feeling guilty about eating cake and remember that moderation of ALL foods constitutes a healthy balanced diet.

My café offers cakes all handmade on the premises. I cater for vegans and gluten-free diets as standard and will discuss any other dietary requirements on request.

Bowness, where my café is based, is tourist central, so the prices here reflect that. My pric-es are in keeping with the local market. What sells well depends on the day. I’ve put out a blueberry and lemon drizzle or a chocolate fudge cake and it has gone almost straight away. At other times the same cakes will take longer to sell.

Being a tourist area, there are lots of cafés to compete against, which is why I emphasise that everything is made fresh on-site.

About Kerry Jones
Kerry Jones runs the Elephant and Camel Café in Bowness-on-Windermere, which focuses on special-diet products particularly for the veggie, vegan and gluten-free market. She is a home-taught cook and, in recent years, has become increasingly interested in provenance, with Fairtrade, food miles and sustainability being of particular concern.