A FAMILY business hopes to add a splash of colour to Bolton town centre - Vanilla Red, to be precise.

Joanna Davies and her mother, Sandra King, are preparing to opening their new specialist cake decorating business and cafe in the former YMCA in Deansgate.

Joanna's husband has completed the family set-up by carrying out most of the refurbishment work.

And the venture marks a completely new direction for them.

Mother-of-three Joanna, aged 28, of Kearsley, is a former personnel officer at Hope Hospital, and Sandra previously worked as a school cook.

Joanna said: "Both my mum and I have been making and decorating novelty cakes for many years at home, and we decided to turn it into a business, with the cafe running alongside to supplement revenue and display the work.

"We looked at the property and decided it was an ideal location."

After buying the site in August last year and moving in in January, the new business will open later this month after an investment of nearly £26,000.

Joanna said: "We are nervous, but very excited. Everything is on schedule. It still looks a bit messy, but things have been coming together well.

"We have had a lot of support and advice from Business Bolton, which was invaluable in the early planning stages, and with getting everything started.

"My husband, John, has also carried out a large amount of the refurbishment and improvement work, so it has helped to keep our start-up costs down.

"We chose the name Vanilla Red because vanilla is a key ingredient of our cake business, and red will be the dominant colour in our decor and design. We just can't wait to open up and get started now."