While most little girls are playing with dolls and listening to One Direction, Laura Marolia has her own business making and selling honey.

The seven-year-old began bee-keeping with her dad at the age of just four and even has a website set up to sell the sweet stuff.

Her rise up the business ladder echoes that of the young girl in the HSBC advert (pictured below), who sells her home-made lemonade to a coach-load of international passengers, and even calculates the price of her drinks in a range of foreign currencies.

Laura’s dad, Alan, said: “I had been on a bee-keeping course about 20 years before.

“When Laura began to get interested in the garden and nature, it seemed like a good thing to do.”

The family has two hives of British honeybees in the garden of their home in Springfield, Maidstone.

Mr Marolia said: “Laura chose the labels for the honey.

“She helps with looking after the bees, checking the hives every 10 days, and she has her own website to sell it.

“Most children of that age like to play shops, and in a way Laura is doing something similar. The only difference is that it’s real money which goes into an account for her.”

Mr Marolia said: “We probably have about 60,000 bees during the summer.

“They forage for up to three miles, so they are collecting pollen from Mote Park and Whatman Park, and the honey has a lovely rich flavour.”

The Sandling School pupil made around 50lbs of honey last year.

Mr Marolia, a procurements officer with Swale Borough Council, said: “Bee-keeping is totally dependent on the weather. Last year was very wet, so the yield was down. This year is looking better.”

Asked if the bees can be dangerous, Mr Marolia said: “There is no great danger as long as you don’t have an allergy, and you do everything in a slow and methodical manner.

“Don’t kick the hive and have the right equipment.

“Laura has her own smoker and bee-keeping suit.”