A BUSINESS that creates handmade puddings and creamy custard has been shortlisted for Best Food Producer in the BBC Radio 4 Food and Farming Awards.

Farmer's wife Lynne Mallinson began Country Puddings in 2000 with a single iconic product – sticky toffee pudding, made in her farmhouse kitchen, near Penrith, for the local farm shop.

Today, the business has expanded, now producing 18 award-winning puddings and sauces from a purpose built industrial kitchen just a mile from the farm. It sells puddings and custards all over the county and further afield.

Country Puddings has been shortlisted for the BBC Radio 4 Food and Farming Awards in the food producer of the year category. Fiercely competitive, there were more than 800 entries and Country Puddings is shortlisted in the final three.

Lynne’s passion for family life and enjoying mealtimes around the table, triggered the birth of Country Puddings – with a little help from husband David who declared her sticky toffee pudding the best in the world.

Sharing her appetite for family life and traditional puddings ‘like Grandma made’, Lynne grew the business alongside raising her family – enabling her growing team to do so too.

The Country Puddings business began in a farmhouse kitchen, then a converted barn on the family farm, but the operation outgrew this so Lynne and her team moved to a purpose-built industrial kitchen in 2007.

Lynne is supported by husband David and a small but dedicated team which includes Cumbrian mums and seasonal staff.

Commenting on the shortlisting nomination Lynne said “I was surprised when I got a call from Sheila Dillon the BBC Food Programme presenter. She said we were shortlisted from 800 into the final three. It’s exciting to think our family run Cumbrian food business caught the judge’s eyes. There are so many fantastic food producers in the UK, so we’re honoured to fly the flag for Cumbria and the Lake District, and our newly acquired World Heritage Site. Sheila explained that she will visit the kitchen and farm with another judge soon. We’re excited about that because there’s only so much they can find out on a piece of paper.”

Going back into milk production and being able to produce more of their own ingredients may have hit the mark with the judges. David and Lynne’s son, Rory, has returned home to farm, reversing dairying decline and producing milk which goes into their puddings and custard. The judges will have chance to visit the farm too.

“We’ve always focused on quality puddings – because our family wouldn’t eat anything else and we know the judges have already tried the puds. When they visit, they’re welcome to sample more - so that should count in our favour!”