Zoe's Fancy Cakes has to improvise online baking tutorials for Leeds kids due to flour shortage

For the last few years, Horsforth based, Zoe's Fancy Cakes, has been teaching others how to make and decorate their own bakes either at their own studio and designated class-room or online with YouTube video tutorials.

And now, with the face to face classes having to stop for the time being there is more demand for the online classes and, over the last couple of weeks since the lockdown restrictions were put in place, there has been more demand for videos and tutorials aimed at sweet treats children and youngsters can make.

However, a recent planned cookie making class had to become a decorating biscuits session as there is a lack of flour available to buy at supermarkets.

Richard Eckles said: "We did do cookies but with our last shop we could not get hold of any flour in the supermarket and could not make them. People can get biscuits though so it became a decorating biscuits class which is easy, and kids like it.

"In terms of engagement online we are getting a lot of new people watching. When we look at our stats on facebook over the last couple of weeks there has been a lot more parents looking for activities for the kids during the day."

Zoe's Fancy Cakes, run by Richard and Zoe and members of their family, are now shooting and uploading new videos for their half a million followers on YouTube and plan to do two facebook live sessions each week on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The business started as a hobby making cakes for family and friends and turned into a full-time job for the couple who worked in banking and project management previously. It has since developed into purely teaching others how to make, bake and decorate.

But as most students drive from the south for classes or even fly into Leeds especially they have had to improvise again.

Mr Eckles added: "Look outside on the high street and there are empty shops. We have cancelled the next two months classes and like every small business are having to refund money so doing on-line sales, videos and what we can."

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