MARK Peacock has his two children and their school friends to thank for inspiring him to launch a hand-made flapjacks business that is taking off in rural Northumberland.

The 42-year-old chef found his two children, now 12 and 14, always looked forward to the weekends when he would make flapjacks for them, their friends and neighbours.

The baked treats, quite literally, went down a treat.

So when the Peacocks moved to Chathill last year Mark, a trained chef, thought the time was right to launch his own business. And wife Audra, 41, and his son and daughter were in no doubt where the Yorkshire-born food lovers’ future should lie: flapjacks.

Today Mark’s Simply Northumbrian hand-made flapjacks which he makes in a small commercial kitchen in his farm cottage, can be found for sale in outlets throughout the county, including The Alnwick Garden, Lindisfarne Winery on Holy Island, Bamburgh Castle’s Clock Tower cafe, post offices, health food shops, butchers’ shops, tea rooms and art galleries.

Award-winning Jesmond-based delicatessen Stewart & Co, which has just opened a cafe within the newly reopened Newcastle City Library, is also a customer.

Another growing market is hotels and bed and breakfasts, where Simply Northumbrian flapjacks are to be found in small gift packages for guests and as traybakes in the kitchens.

“Hospitality providers are always on the lookout for quality local produce they can provide for visitors and flapjacks give them another option,” said Mark, who grew-up in Driffield before making the North East his home.

On May 25 Mark exhibited for the first time at The Journal’s Taste of the County in association with Tesco. The hugely successful event held in conjunction with the annual Northumberland County Show, saw nearly 60 local artisan food and drink producers and celebrity chefs gather for the one day event at Tynedale Rugby Club, Corbridge.

A massive 26,000 people attended, making it the most successful county show ever.

In the Taste marquee many stallholders had sold out by early afternoon.

Earlier this week Mark also took part in the Harrogate Speciality Food Show.

Mark makes six flapjack flavours with the best-selling lines currently chocolate and caramel, chocolate and ginger and cherry and almond.

He uses local ingredients wherever possible, including oats from Heatherslaw Cornmill at Ford, and honey from Chain Bridge Farm near Berwick.

Most of the flapjacks are dairy and wheat-free, and many of the other ingredients Mark uses are Fair Trade. Indeed, he is soon hoping to add the Fair Trade label to his local credentials.

Mark says he got into flapjack making by accident. “My kids love them, but they found many of the shop-bought ones too greasy, so I started making my own and everything snowballed from there really. Customers tell me they enjoy my flapjacks knowing they are wheat and dairy free, and that I use ingredients from local suppliers,” Mark added.

“At the moment I devote one whole day each week to making flapjacks, but I’m hoping sales will take off even more as a result of taking part in The Journal’s Taste of the County at Corbridge and the Harrogate show. Looking ahead, I would like to open a unit on an industrial estate.”