Head into any Costa coffee shop in the run up to Christmas and you will see a tasty morsel of Cumbrian creativity.

University student Rhiannon Armstrong, from Carlisle, is behind the design of one of the coffee chain’s festive treats this year - Paul the Penguin.

Rhiannon came up with her penguin character cake during a 12-month placement at Bells of Lazonby. She is in her final year of a food and nutrition degree at Sheffield Hallam University.

The bakery firm, which employs 280 people in Lazonby, supplies major supermarket and high street coffee chains with its products.

Rhiannon, a former pupil of Trinity School, Carlisle, said: “I had six months in the technical unit and six months in product design. It was back in January while I was in product design that we were given the brief for four Costa items, one of which was to come up with a character cake.

“I looked at what animals you’d associate with Christmas and winter and that is where the penguin concept came from. We took it forward step by step but the Paul the Penguin you see today is pretty much how I envisaged it, although I called it Polly and the name got changed later.”

Rhiannon, who used to work in the city’s former Margie’s sugarcraft store, saw the finished product on sale for the first time at Manchester’s Piccadilly station.

“It was really surreal seeing it there on display. That will be a moment that always sticks with me,” said Rhiannon.

“Everyone at Bells were really proud of my efforts. They were pleased I got the brief and went with it.”

Christmas is the busiest time of the year for Bells of Lazonby. The factory is producing six million mince pies and launching 15 new Christmas products.

Each is a lengthy process - lasting between four weeks and three months - of sharing ideas with customers, creating products in a test kitchen, devising recipes and working out how they will be made in the bakery and completing paperwork.

A Bells of Lazonby spokesperson said: “Pride of place for Rhiannon was the work she did in helping to prepare new products for Costa Coffee’s Christmas launch this year. This is a real partnership approach working through ideas with the Costa Coffee development team at every stage.

“Last year Rudolph was a great favourite smashing all forecasts for sales and the challenge was to find a different character for this year. Through the same joint approach Paul the Penguin was born and was launched in all stores last week.

“That she played a part in this project brings Rhiannon great satisfaction and pride and a real thrill to see him among all the other great looking Christmas products in their counters.”

A spokesperson for Costa Coffee said: “Rudolph was such a hit with our customers last year so we knew we had to come up with another happy character this Christmas. It’s great to work with Bells of Lazonby, who provide real innovation and quality products.

“Thanks to Rhiannon and the whole team for their support with Paul the Penguin – we have no doubt he’ll be a festive favourite.”