Essential workers and those who have gone above and beyond during the COVID-19 lockdown have been receiving fancy treats produced by local cake creator Laura Stowell.

Laura, the creator of Peppermint Kitchen, had “felt a bit useless” during the lockdown but when she was able to reopen her business under alert level three she spread the message she wanted to recognise the efforts of the many essential workers.

She received 50 responses from locals who wanted to thank deserving staff and individuals, ranging from the guys at the IT Centre Ltd who kept home computers from crashing and the staff at Caltex, to midwives, nurses and vets.

Laura delivered each recipient a free box of treats and said the feedback she got was worth the effort. 

“I received lovely messages about how the unexpected gift had perked them up,” she said.

Yesterday (Thursday May 14) Elmslie House rest home started 'restricted access' at level 2 and Laura delivered one of her creations to mark the occasion and to thank the team of nurses and carers who have provided round-the-clock care to the residents over the past eight weeks.

“These guys had to wait a couple of weeks before they could have their cake,” Laura said. And when her cake was revealed - “there were gasps of surprise; they were really lovely.”

Laura recognises she has been fortunate to be working through level three and even though weddings and events, a core element of her business, have evaporated, she has been busy. 

“The Love Wanaka campaign is really working,” she said. “Mother’s Day was unprecedented … and I’ve been inundated with individuals requesting small “bubble” options to be sent to their friends and families.” 

PHOTO: Wanaka App