A FORMER nurse who gave up her job to bake cakes wants to spread the importance of choosing passion over money.

Michelle Davie, from Burnley, was a nurse for nine years before she gave up her team leader nursing role to start a bakery business at 46-years-old.

The mum-of-three worked as a mental health nurse at Lancashire Care.

She said: “I always had an interest in mental health and my children were older so I decided to go into nursing because I liked working with people.

“As I qualified in 2008 they brought in the longer shifts and I think throughout my career, I really struggled with driving two hours to get to work and then working a 12-hour shift.”

She said that her daughter had health problems and it was difficult to take time off work to look after her.

She added: “I found it too stressful and, when I was stressed, I baked cakes because I found it calming and therapeutic.”

Previously, Mrs Davie completed a HND foundation course in engineering, hoping to get a job as an engineer, at a time when women were being funded for engineering roles.

But after struggling to find a job and not being able to complete a degree due to her daughter being ill, she dropped out and concentrated on being a full-time mum to her children in 2001.

She said: “I did enjoy it the most because my daughter needed so much care, so I wanted to be home for her.

“I would get part-time work only to end up having to give it up because the schools would ring me and say she was ill."

Finally, in October 2019, Mrs Davie started her business officially and has not looked back since, but admits it was not easy.

She said: “There were mixed reactions, as some people thought it was a stupid idea that I was giving up a job where I earned more money, but I did what made me happy.”

Mrs Davie takes part in collaboration bakes, where bakers all over the world bake cakes to a theme and then post them onto Instagram on the same day.

To see her creations, follow her Instagram @chellebakescakes