UP CLOSE in Frodsham: Primrose Baklava

We might still be months away from that longed-for foreign holiday, but with the help of new local business, Primrose Baklava, you can bring the flavours of the Mediterranean right into your own home.

Combining syrup-soaked layers of flaky filo pastry atop sweet walnuts and pistachios, baklava is a hugely popular dessert in countries such as Greece, Turkey and Iran.

Luckily for us, Primrose Baklava, which was set up in January by Maryam Ellison, is the only business of its kind in the Frodsham area which delivers fresh baklava straight to your door.

"I've always made baklava for friends and family and they have often said that I should sell it," Maryam says. "When this lockdown began I decided that people might want something different, so why not give it a go?

Knowing that local people who had travelled to Turkey and other countries in the Eastern Mediterranean would already know and love the taste of fresh baklava, she thought that her homemade pastries might help to brighten the monotony of Covid restrictions.

"So I set up a Facebook page and it went really well.

"In the first week I sold my baklava to neighbours, and then they started recommending it to their friends, who recommended it to other people in the community.

"I have a customer who initially ordered one box, and then before I even got home she rang to ask for another!"

Although Maryam set up Primrose Baklava on her own, she has a valuable assistant in her little boy, Sebastian, who helps out with deliveries in return for his pocket money!

A love for cooking

Maryam, who is originally from Iran, is a keen cook, and enjoys introducing her friends and family in Alvanley to the vibrancy of Persian cuisine.

In 2017, she even appeared on the BBC2 series, Yes Chef, where she competed against other talented home cooks for the chance to work alongside professional chef Amandine Chaignot.

For her customers, Maryam makes a traditional Persian baklava, infusing her syrup with

cinnamon and honey to give her pastry a rich, glossy finish.

Another key ingredient of Maryam's baklava is cardamom, which is an essential part of many Iranian dishes. This spice lends Persian baklava a delicately fragrant quality that is absent from its European equivalents.

"As soon as you taste it you just fall in love with it. You'll want to have it every weekend!" Maryam laughs.

What next?

As a home-made, delivery-based business, Primrose Baklava is perfectly suited to the social separation of lockdown.

But what are Maryam's plans for the future?

"I will definitely continue my business after lockdown if demand continues," Maryam says. "I am also going to add rice pudding to my menu. If you try my rice pudding you will never buy it from a supermarket ever again!

"Whenever I have made it for my friends they have been shocked because it's a taste they have never tried before," she explains.

"I know that British people love rice pudding and eat it all year round. Baklava is great in the autumn and winter cold when you can eat it in front of the fire with a cup of tea or coffee, but rice pudding is lovely no matter the weather!"

Primrose Baklava boxes are delivered every Friday and Maryam is now taking orders for Mother's Day weekend.

So, while you might not be able to give your mum or grandma a hug this year, you can at least send them some love in the form of these sweet treats!

To place an order, please send Maryam a WhatsApp message on 07572578702. Deliveries are free within a six mile radius, beyond which they are subject to a small additional charge.