by HELEN PERKINS CUMBRIA’S first female businesswoman has inspired a new Lake District skin care range.

Sarah Nelson, who became famous for her gingerbread in the 1850s, will have hand cream named in her honour.

The iconic South Lakes figure died from exhaustion in 1904 after decades working as a cook for Lady Farquhar, in her home at Dale Lodge as well as catering for pastry-lovers passing through Grasmere.

Now, Grasmere Gingerbread, a firm which still uses Sarah Nelson’s original recipe, is teaming up with skin care experts Pure Lakes to create another ginger product to add to their collection.

Company owner Joanne Wilson said the hand cream was a way to remember the hard labour women had to endure in the 19th Century.

She said: “Sarah Nelson was a working class woman who had it very hard. She started work at 13 and struggled to work her way up to be a chef – but by the time she died she was a well-known figure who had to put labels on her gingerbread to prove they were genuine.”

Pure Lakes director Sandra Blackburn, who lives in Grasmere, said the firms had teamed up to show that ginger wasn’t only good for flavouring food.

“My husband and I used to run a gift shop in Grasmere until we started creating eco-friendly skin care products from our factory in Staveley, but because we worked in the same village as Joanne we became friends and are collaborating.

“Joanne’s ginger theme has always been popular and it’s good for dry skin – now we’re even considering making a ginger body scrub.”