ME AND MUM ARE LIVING THE DREAM

For Kay Warner, 36, work is a family affair

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Laying out a table with cups, saucers and fresh scones, I step back to admire my handiwork. ‘Looks  fabulous,’ my mum, Julia, 62, says. But we aren’t just having a relaxing Sunday afternoon cream tea – instead we’re preparing to welcome guests to our elegant tea room. For some people, working with their mum might be their worst nightmare. But for us, it has been a dream come true.

For years I worked in retail and enjoyed my job as a retail manager, but in 2016 when I was 29, I was inspired to step out of my comfort zone by Mum. She had just retired as a firefighter and bought a farmhouse in the Lincolnshire countryside. She decided to convert it into a cosy bed and breakfast and tea room, telling me it had always been a dream of hers to run her own business. After two years of renovations, in 2018, she opened Clarke’s Farm and I was so proud of her. On my days off I’d help her out, serving tea and helping to make beds.