Working

It's a piece

of cake,

says Adrian

HIS friends thought it was a half-baked idea.

What? Their mate working in a cake shop.

But ex-painter and decorator Adrian Tideswell is loving every minute of life at Anne's Cake Shop in Knutsford.

"My friends said they didn't think I would survive in such a female-dominated world," said Adrian, 38.

Not only did he survive as the shop's only male assistant, but he's now even got a fan club.

"He is very popular with the ladies in Knutsford because he always packs their bags and takes them out to the car," said area manager Julie Bell.

"And when he isn't working, the other staff always get asked where he is."

But the former garage worker's popularity doesn't end in Canute Place, Knutsford. "Sometimes he works at other shops in the area and I get asked by the managers when he can come to their shop again," said Julie.

She said few men had even applied to work in a cake shop.

"In years gone by a confectioners has been a lady's domain, but we definitely believe in equal opportunities and Adrian had exactly what we wanted," said Julie. "He is friendly, has a nice smile and is an asset to the team."

As for Adrian, he couldn't be happier. "I have no ambitions to go into management because the customers are lovely and I enjoy the job so much," he said.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.