Next stop... New York

Talented baker Lucia is building a business empire with her delicious and creative cakes

An entrepreneurial Cambuslang schoolgirl has her sights set on opening her own patisserie in the Big Apple after her cupcakes enterprise raked in more than £700 in its first month of business.

To alleviate boredom during the latest lockdown, 14-year-old Lucia Walls took to baking cupcakes in the family kitchen and selling them in boxed batches of six on Facebook.

Cake lovers fell head over heels with her St Valentine’s creations, placing 18 orders in her first week of business, trading as Lucia’s Little Cupcakes.

With her growing bank of loyal customers spreading the word and posting enthusiastic reviews about the taste and aesthetic appeal of her colourful cupcakes, Lucia responded to increased demand by baking and decorating whole birthday cakes.

Creating tiered cakes and cupcakes for every occasion – including Mother’s Day and Easter – talented Lucia, in just over three weeks, had taken no fewer than 69 orders, boosting her turnover to £706.

Equally pleasing to the eye and palate, her sponge creations are also earning a pretty penny, a slice of which she is putting aside to help make her big business dreams come true – to conquer the market in the United Cakes of America!

“With her football being off just now, she had lots of spare time, and started baking,” explained mum Clare.

“We were eating far too many of her cakes. So, three weeks ago, she decided to start a Lucia’s Little Cupcakes Facebook and Instagram page. She does different colours and flavours. The most popular colour for birthday cakes is pink, and her favourite cupcake flavours are carrot cake and salted caramel.

“She’s got boxes and business cards with phone numbers. She’s all organised. It’s amazing. I can’t believe the amount of reviews she has on Facebook. And she’s always on YouTube, looking for new ideas.”

Holyrood Secondary School pupil Lucia – whose 15-year-old brother, Frankie, is her enthusiastic chief taster – has acquired a real taste for commercial baking.

Now seeing it as a realistic career option, she included cake craft among her recently selected subjects at school.

Lucia’s soaraway success earned plaudits from Holyrood Secondary, with deputy headteacher Stephen Quinn calling to congratulate her and Tweeting news of her achievements.

He told the Reformer: “I gave Lucia a call when I heard about it, and Joanne Forrest – principal teacher of Home Economics – was delighted about it, so big congratulations.

“Lucia is a lovely girl who engages very well in school. She has shown a very positive attitude and entrepreneurial spirit. It is great to see young people who can rise above these challenging times. Hats off to her!”

With ambitions to appear on the Great British Bake Off, Lucia dreams of opening her own cake shop.

Continued proud mum Clare: “She wants to go to New York and open a cake shop there.

“I said: ‘Why not start off in Glasgow or Edinburgh first – or even Cambuslang!’”

I can’t believe the amount of reviews she has on Facebook