A south Cumbrian company is taking wood from the Lake District and turning it into a nationwide gift brand.

The Sugar Shed, based at Holme, sells a range of products - including photographs printed directly onto wood, buttons and other wood-based gifts.

Tracy Johnson took on the company in 2017 and was soon joined by co-owner Lisa Jackson, who had previously been working in sales in the pharmaceuticals sector, who now runs the sales side of the company.

“We have only been involved in retail a year and that’s going really well,” said Tracy.

“We are doing a lot of retail and we’ve invested in a new website and social media and PR.”

The company was given a boost when its products were featured on chef James Martin's Saturday Morning Recipes show on ITV in May.

The company supplied two of their bespoke ‘Bark’ slices, featuring images of James Martin’s dogs, for a segment covering the best gadgets for pets, resulting in a 20 per cent increase in sales in the following week.

Outlets that stock their products include Sizergh Barn, near Kendal, as well as the Northern Line, in Windermere and Ulverston, and The Attic in Grasmere.

They are also on sale at chef Rick Stein’s gift shop in Padstow, Cornwall.

The company prints the images directly onto wood using a special printer, using ash, sycamore and beech predominantly sourced in the Lake District.

“We make sure it’s all sustainably sourced,” said Tracy.

The company is also supporting the Campaign Against Living Miserably - which works to reduce the rate of male suicide.

It has produced a special button for CALM featuring the words 'Don't button it, it's good to talk', with 20 per cent of its takings from sales going to the charity.

Five per cent of the takings from its 'Bark' slices are also donated to the Dogs Trust.