Mother and daughter duo Mary Palfreeman and Anne East can’t believe how their family hamper venture has taken off.

What began in October 2020 as a business delivering cream teas in lockdown has grown into a company handling more than 400 hampers in just the last year.

From the cabin at the bottom of Anne’s Ferndown home orders are packed and despatched around the world.

And, as the name of their business – Dorset Treasures – suggests, every item is sourced from Dorset.

From jams, chocolate brownies and cheeses to biscuits, fudge and artisan gifts.

Anne, 39, said: “Being a small business we wanted to help other small businesses and artisans.

“That’s our big niche and hence why we call it Dorset Treasures.”

A former high-flier with car rental giant, Hertz, responsible for the HR service across its UK sites, the mother of two was looking for something to keep her busy after being furloughed.

Anne, pictured left, said: “I’ve always wanted to have my own business.

“The whole of my family has been self-employed and entrepreneurial.

“Before lockdown I had completely different aspirations and big plans, including moving to America.

“But then I was furloughed and I knew I wouldn’t be going back.

“The thing to keep me going through that time and cope with all the uncertainty was to keep busy.”

It was Mary’s husband, Charles, who came up with the idea of delivering cream teas.

Anne said: “We thought: why not give it a go?

“If it lasted six months then it would keep our brains going during Covid and, particularly for me, keep me focused.

“But it’s just never stopped.”

Mary, 62, who previously worked in new house sales, said: “We’re quite detailed people.

“Because we have a gift-giving business – and we have competitors like everybody else – we wanted to be a little different with the presentation of our product.

“We started market research by ordering  loads and loads of cream teas.

“Instantly we thought ‘that’s tacky’ or we wouldn’t be impressed to receive this or that.

“We wanted people receiving gifts sent through our company to really smile and think ‘this is something’.”

As people returned to work after the end of lockdowns, the emphasis moved from cream teas to a wider range of baskets and hampers.

Costs range from under £30 to around £80 while products aimed at the corporate market are priced at up to £200.

As well as Dorset and the UK, customers are worldwide including Australia, New Zealand and America.

The eco-friendly packaging includes using biodegradable bags instead of cellophane plastic and wooden gift tags which can be reused, such as Christmas tree decorations.

The business moved to a new level when Wyatt Homes, the Poole-based property developer, approached Dorset Treasures to enquire about hampers for their new homeowners.

Anne said: “Wyatt Homes was a complete and utter game-changer and got us into thinking corporate.

“People moving into one of their new homes have one of our hampers on their kitchen table.

“Wyatt Homes wanted Dorset produce because it’s for a Dorset property.

“They were also looking for a small business and wanted to consider the environment which is our entire ethos.

“They’ve just renewed our relationship and have expanded it.

“They’ve also asked us to create baskets for their properties in other counties such as Somerset.

“We’re only too happy to tailor things to their requirements and expect to provide around 400 hampers for Wyatt Homes, alone, in the coming year.”

Tara Kelly, Wyatt Homes’ Sales Director, said: “Last year we wanted to find a local company to supply our new homeowner hampers across our developments and we discovered Dorset Treasures.

“Anne and her team have been fantastic with their support in sourcing local produce from local businesses.

“The process from order to delivery is smooth and stress free.”

A true family business, Anne’s sister, Rachel Cash, is also a Director and exclusively provides her Seascape range of artisan gifts including coasters and decorative cheeseboards.

Anne’s husband, Steve, helps with the IT while the aforementioned Charles contributes his creative and marketing skills.

Mary, pictured left, said: “Anne and I have never worked together before but our skills are complementary and we’ve got confidence in each other’s abilities.”

Anne said: “We’re closer than we’ve ever been in our lives through this business.

“I’m just so proud of how we’ve come together as a family.

“Having this business allowed me the freedom to be around my family, to build our relationships and to bring my sister into the venture.

“In terms of the future, there are so many avenues for us to tap into rather than just staying with gifts and food.

“We’re a real feel-good business and we love what we do.”

• dorsettreasures.co.uk