Shirley is presented with her cake

A FARMYARD legend and firm favourite of thousands of children celebrated 15 years with a cake made out of soaked grass nuts, grated apple, edible flowers and Brussel sprouts.

Shirley the Cow, who first came to Kentish Town City Farm aged six months, got a special treat made by school­children.

She has learned to open the bolt on her gate with her tongue and likes to run about with the donkeys when they get the “zoomies”.

“The cake was in a heart-shaped tin – we really went to town. Moo-ve over Mary Berry,” said Mel Chamberlain, the farm’s bat specialist.

“Cows typically live for 15-20 years, that’s normal – although not in the dairy industry, obviously. The oldest cow that ever lived got to 49, so you could say Shirley’s in her prime.

“Out of all the animals we have got, she is the top of so many people’s list. You very rarely hear ooh, shall we see the sheep. It’s always Shirley. She’s just a living legend Everyday I hear people say ‘shall we go and see your favourite?’ The smaller the better the kids, they just love her.”

Shirley is the second oldest animal at Kentish Town City Farm

A typical day for Shirley sees her sniff faces with the pigs, said Mel, adding: “If she’s done poo, the pigs will have a little nibble on that, which is gross. If the donkeys have a funny five minutes, running around like they have zooms, she will join in.

“Back in the day before we tied a rope round the gate she worked out how to open it by putting her tongue into the loop of the bolt in the handle, and moving it across. She’s not daft.”

It is not clear if Shirley still remembers her prime-time slot on the BBC when the Countryfile team featured the farm back in 2021.

The farm celebrated its own 50th birthday in 2022.

Shirley the Cow was one of the popular animals threatened with being remooved from the farm when a cuts package was proposed by the board of trustees. The plan was stopped in 2019 after a mega wealthy donor read about the campaign in the New Journal and gave the farm £100,000.

Six years later the farm is in rude health with new guinea pig and rabbit houses, a “goatel” and a chicken house refurb.

After four years of closure, the horse arena is set to open in the coming months and new lambs are also coming in February.

Legend has it that Shirley, like some other of the animals there, may be named in tribute to staff relatives.

She is the second oldest animal at the farm, behind Dora the donkey.