A Fulwood woman has used a career setback to launch a cake business that has amassed over 21,000 Instagram followers in three months.

Kirsty Worden launched Swirls and Curls in July after her role in legal recruitment became uncertain. The business is named in honour of Kirsty’s daughter Ava and her curly hair.

Kirsty said: “I have worked for over nine years helping legal professionals find new roles within law firms.

“I started a new role in June 2019 at a company in Manchester, however due to coronavirus, the business had to furlough its entire workforce and subsequently make redundancies.

“Whilst on maternity leave in 2018 with my daughter Ava, I taught myself to bake by watching YouTube videos and researching.

“Baking started out as a hobby, and during lockdown I had more time to focus on perfecting my skill. Not knowing what was going to happen with my job, I started Swirls and Curls in July.”

Kirsty offers a bespoke service through Swirls and Curls, mainly creating celebration cakes and cupcake boxes.

She said: “I use high quality ingredients with a high-end finish to produce luxurious and tasty treats. It is extremely important to me that every cake tastes as good as it looks. 

“Swirls and Curls has grown incredibly quickly with over 200 orders since first starting, repeat business, positive reviews and over 21,000 followers on Instagram.”

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Kirsty is now planning to expand the business further.

She said: “My plan for the next year is to continue building my business and exposure within Preston and the surrounding areas whilst perfecting my skill further.

“I love my job and career in recruitment, and would really like to be able to manage both somehow, however Swirls and Curls is becoming a huge passion of mine and I am incredibly proud of the business so far.

“Long term, I love the idea of potentially running workshops to teach others.”

See more of Kirsty’s cakes on Instagram @swirlsandcurlsuk.

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What do you think of Kirsty’s new career direction? Let us know in the comments.