PUDDING secrets handed down through the generations have proved the recipe of success for Gisburn businesswoman Helen Colley.

The 36-year- old is taking the pudding world by storm with her mouthwatering recipes from great-great-grandmother Janet Anderson.

Helen launched her pudding-making business from her mum's kitchen at Shuttleworth Hall, Gisburn, 18 years ago. Now word of mouth moves fast in the pudding world and Farmhouse Fare has witnessed a dramatic escalation in business, with a £500,000 sales forecast in the first year of trading.

Helen and her mum Dorothy Falshaw dubbed themselves Farmhouse Fare and supplied shops and hotels in the area with sticky toffee, marmalade and luxury chocolate puddings.

After a hard morning's graft at the stove, Helen would then scoot around the Ribble Valley in a little van, supplying eager customers.

Now Helen employs 20 people in custom-built commercial kitchens at Shuttleworth Hall and was named new business of the year in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph Business Awards 2002.

She said: "We started making the puddings to support my outside catering business, supplying weddings and parties. There was just mum and I making about 100 puddings a week, using recipes handed down through generations of our family.

"I was 18 at the time and used to drive round the Ribble Valley in a little van. Then the puddings started to take off, so much so that I was eventually able to sell the outside catering side of the business."

A photograph of pudding queen Janet Anderson features on all the Farmhouse Fare packaging.

Helen added: "Mum and I have never compromised on quality. We use top-quality ingredients, just like my great-great-grandmother recommended. Even though we have expanded considerably, we still use the same old-fashioned recipes and the best ingredients, with no additives or preservatives."

The high-flying firm recently started supplying 380 Sainsbury stores with its chocolate and sticky marmalade puddings. It is also supplying the puds to Spar shops and hopes to start supplying Morrisons in September.

"We are developing a luxury dessert for Sainsbury's - a three-colour chocolate mousse - and have developed a summer pudding that has just gone on sale at Booth's.

"We have also started a mail order business to generate sales direct to the general public and we are looking to expand even further and possibly supply across the country."