Cumbrian cooking star Julie Jones started her Instagram page in 2013 to share pictures of her baking with her mother and children.

Now, more than 10 years on, she boasts a loyal fanbase of over 180,000 followers, which has allowed her opportunities that she never could have imagined.

The mum-of-three, who lives close to Carlisle, has worked with big names such as Jamie Oliver and Nadiya Hussain, while her signature pies continue to catch the eye online.

Her recently published third book, Art in Pastry, pays testament to her beautiful designs, while she is also able to commit more time to teaching and spreading joy through cooking.

Speaking to the News & Star, she said: "It started out as a private account, almost like a personal diary. I was just taking pictures with my mum baking, who had Alzheimer’s and dementia, it was nice because we were capturing that special time.

"I made my account public and I connected with people, whether it was people who also had parents with dementia, or just bakers. They became a huge support network for me during a hard time. The Instagram was a very natural thing and when my mum was no longer able to bake, I continued because it gave me peace and mindfulness."

Julie developed her own style, which became noticed and recognisable in the baking community.

Her connection with an unseen crowd allowed her to open up, which inspired her to take the ‘leap of faith’ in writing her first book ‘The Soulful Baker’.

Julie added: "My mum is very much part of that book. It was nice to have her included in that because it felt like something good had come out of something tragic."

Despite the recent boom in Instagram recipes and food-focused content creators, Julie is targeting a more personal connection with foodies in the local area, having previously welcomed guests into her home for a weekly meal.

The trained chef has travelled across the UK hosting classes but is now cooking up plans to bring a monthly supper club event back to Cumbria to help bring the community together.