A NEW dessert stall opened last week in Carlisle.

Take a Shake, based in the city’s Market Hall, was set up by 21-year-old Nadia Knowles.

Nadia, originally from Glasgow, was excited to be opening her new venture.

“I’ve always wanted to do it,” she said.

“When you’re younger you want to have a sweetie shop, don’t you?

“So I just did it when I was older. It’s the dream, isn’t it?

“I thought, ‘If I sell the stuff I wanted when I was a kid, the kids will want it’.”

Take a Shake sells various confectionary items including American sweets, seasonal hampers, teas and coffees.

The stall also has a chocolate fountain and Nadia said that she sells “anything covered in chocolate”.

The main attraction is an original combination — the cake shake.

“A cake shake is a milkshake with a bit of cake on top,” said Nadia

“You build it yourself. You pick your flavour and your toppings, which are unlimited.

“And then you pick your cake.”

“Who doesn’t want cake on a milkshake?

“It’s the best of both worlds.

“It took me a wee while to learn how to get the cake on top of the milkshake.”

Nadia, who used to work as a cleaner, said that she had been planning to open the stall for some time.

“I wanted to do it a few years ago, but obviously with my age it would have been harder.

“I was working, I saved up some money, and I put some birthday money towards it and we’re here, we’re open.”

The stall has already become a hit with regulars at the Market Hall.

One man commented that it was the “best in the market” and that it had “the best prices in town.”

Despite being the only member of staff, Nadia is looking to the future.

“Just Eat got in touch recently about doing deliveries,” she said.

“Hopefully this is just a starting point.

“I’d like to expand, maybe get a shop, a café, bigger things.

“Everyone wants to go on to bigger things.”

With the school holidays coming up, Nadia hopes that her stall will be a hit with Carlisle’s young people.

“I’m aiming for the kids, it’s something for them,” she said.

“We’ve had some coming in and saying that it’s amazing.

“It’s nice seeing them happy.”