A FAMILY who run a cake shop will be baking a malt loaf in memory of their late grandmother – using her special recipe.

Abbie Melarangi, 25, and her mother Janet Melarangi, 50, run the Cake Box in Union Road in Oswaldtwistle, with the help of Abbie’s sister Jess Melarangi, 21.

In September, Abbie’s grandmother, Patricia Thompson, 77, who was Janet’s mother, died after a battle with dementia, and now the family will be paying tribute by baking her malt loaf recipe to sell in the shop.

Abbie said: “She would always say we should open a shop. She got to see it and she loved it.

“We are going to use her recipe and my mum will be baking them. We will be calling them Pat’s Malt Loafs.

“My nan was always good at home-made recipes.

“She would always take quiches to family functions.”

Abbie and Janet started the company back in October 2019 when Janet got the bug for baking.

The mother and daughter duo were working from home at the time in what was Janet’s first full-time job since raising her two daughters and a son who is now 12.

After a few successful months, they realised they would need a premises and signed a contract for their current shop on March 20, 2020 – just a few days before lockdown.

The shop remained closed but the lockdown gave her family opportunity to come in and decorate the shop ready for opening.

Abbie was still working from home so was unable to help with the DIY work but continued to help her mum in baking and selling products from home until the shop was ready to open on June 21.

During this time, in November 2020, the family got the devastating news that Patricia had been diagnosed with dementia and sadly after a 10-month battle, she died.

Abbie continued: “It has been really difficult. We had to close the shop and our hours were a bit sporadic. We only fully closed for one day.

“Because she loved the shop, we thought it was just right to sell her recipe.”