EMPLOYEES of an award-winning cake company which is celebrating its 10th birthday have told how they stuck with the business even during its darkest days.

The staff were speaking as 100 VIPs joined Inter Link Foods boss Alwin Thompson for a party at Ewood Park, Blackburn, to celebrate the firm's 10th birthday.

It has been a decade in which a company struggling to make a crust has become the cream of the cake business world.

When Inter Link Foods was created in 1994 with the purchase of Crossfield Foods in Shadsworth - still best remembered as Kenyons Bakery-- it was losing £350,000 a year and 35 workers were serving their redundancy notices.

It was a time of job insecurity and the work was drying up.

Paul Ingham, 34, now the shift manager, remembers the low patches in his 15 years with the bakery.

With a wife and two children - now 10 and three - times were tough.

He said: "I started as a trainee from school. But when there was no work it was hard.

"I'm not a worrier but there was no job security. We were making Bakewells by hand from a little machine producing next to nothing an hour." Now that production is nearer 20,000 an hour.

Today, the company has its sights firmly set on becoming Britain's second-biggest cake-maker and expects to break the £100 million sales barrier within the next two years.

Yesterday it announced a new £2.6million investment. And its all down to the vision of the top man.

Paul added: "It's great to know that your working for Alwin. He knows what he's doing. He has set his targets and you can see him getting there step by step. It makes people chuffed to be a part of it because you know the company is going somewhere."

Even staff coming in to the company recently appreciate the team spirit.

June Walch, of Helmshore, started at Inter Link Foods 18 months ago.

She said: "Some times it's stressful. There are so many deadlines and sometimes machine breakdowns to deal with. But you always know the managers will be down here helping out if there's a hitch."

John Gallagher, 43, of Shadsworth, who joined the company four years ago, said: "I came here as a normal production worker and have been promoted to supervisor and team leader posts.

"That's why people like it. You get to do different jobs and the opportunity to change and get better. It's a great challenge to understand your responsibilities and be a part of driving things forward.

"I have seen how it has progressed and know that its going places."

Employee of eight years Warren Wood, 30, of Highercroft, said: "It's a good laugh and the wages are better than most.

"You make good friends and I know that I am trusted to do a good job."