A Cumbrian mum’s food business started in lockdown has been a soup-er success.
Amy Mandale began Amy Does Dinner in December 2020 from her family home in Burgh by Sands when she was made redundant, creating soups and catering for the home schooling and working markets.
It has been so successful that she has now become partners with Dalston’s Carrock Meats and will now produce all of its frozen meals.
Amy, 39, who is mum to five-year-olds Aida and Archie, said: “I wanted to start this business for years! My career was in marketing but food has always been my passion. I was furloughed during the first lockdown, then made redundant and decided that it was definitely time to just go for it!”
She said she planned to expand the range soon too.
She said: “As a family we’ve bought all of our meat from Carrock Meats for a long time. A while ago we made the decision to only buy local butchers meat, and if that meant buying less to fit into our budget, that’s what we would do.
“Following Brexit there has never been a more important time to support British farming. I am so happy to be able to apply this ethos to my business
too. I’m so thrilled to be partnering with Carrock Meats as it’s such a natural fit for my business.”
Carrock Meats, which also has a deli, opened in Dalston 16 years ago and is owned and run by Chris and Nicola Walker.
Nicola said: “Wherever possible we try to source our meat and poultry as locally as possible. We use a local abattoir in Wiggonby and one in North Yorkshire. Our bacon supplier is based in Kendal and our poultry comes from Penrith.
“Our seasonal lamb is from Anthorn Farm on the Solway coast which is just 14 miles from the shop.”
