Chatton author’s new novel set on farm in the Cheviots

Rachel’s Pudding Pantry is contemporary fiction set on a farm in the rolling valleys of the Cheviot Hills.

Four generations of women work together to keep the farm going after the sad death of Rachel’s father.

Caroline says the book is about love, loss, family, friendship, the joy of baking, and finding a silver lining in the darkest of times.

She said: “I think the initial spark for the novel was when I saw an image in a magazine of a lovely stone barn conversion in Northumberland, and I knew of tearooms and farm shops that have been created in old farm buildings in the area. I was interested in the idea of diversification in farming.”

During her research, she met Susan Green, who has built a very successful business, The Proof of the Pudding, based near Alnwick. She also picked the brains of farming friends Helen Renner and Jane Ord.

“I loved meeting the animals, holding and feeding a very cute pet lamb at Chatton Park Farm, who inspired the storyline about Maisy’s favourite little lamb, Petie,” said Caroline. “And, Macduff in the book is named after a huge black bull I met at Bellshill Farm.”

Rachel’s Pudding Pantry, published by HarperCollins, is available in Waterstones in the North East, Tesco, Sainsbury and Asda, as well as online.