A third-generation bakery where staff “struggle to fulfil their orders” due to such high demand is a finalist in the Lancashire Telegraph’s Best Bakery 2024.

A total of 10 bakeries are battling it out for your votes, with The Moorings Bakery in Blackburn being one of the businesses in the running.

Owned by Stephen Whalley and his children Hannah Booth and Robert Whalley, the company is well known for its pork, meat and potato, and cheese and onion pies, as well as millionaire shortbreads and jam rounds.

The Moorings Bakery are famed for their pork pies and millionaire shortbreadsThe Moorings Bakery are famed for their pork pies and millionaire shortbreads (Image: The Moorings Bakery)

Hannah said: “It means the absolute world that we have been recommended by our customers it just proves we are doing something right, and we are happy that we are serving what our customers are really expecting and what they are wanting.

“We have always been around someone baking. If we went into work with my dad on a school holiday or weekend or even if we just spent time at Grandma's. I think it is a natural progression that we continued that.”

Moorings became a limited company in 2023 and is expanding to a new premises in November and this year will prove pivotal.

Hannah added: “The nomination is a great thing for us now but if we were to win, I would mean so much, especially given that we are trying to get our new building up and running to go with our retail shops and it would just mean the world.”

Grandma Stella oversaw Aspin’s Bakery in the 1950s and it was her who inspired her son Stephen to enter the industry.

Having worked at another local family run shop he took over his own bakery which he ran his whole working life.

After retiring in 2011 he missed the industry too much and returned to work at Robert's company when it opened in 2014.

Hannah joined the venture in 2022, using her previous experience to help direct the company and help it to grow.

They currently operate with 19 employees and Hannah feels that everyone who works there is a star in their own right.

However, lead cake operative Carla was given special mention, as she is currently making the entirety of the sweet treat side of the operation due to the amount of space available at their current venue.

Last month she single-handedly made 16,000 units for the company.

Moorings hopes its move to its new site at Waterfall Mill will allow Carla to take on a new apprentice.

It has also looked to help the community during the cost-of-living crisis low by keeping prices low, so people feel they are able to buy cakes.

Hannah added: “Cakes are not a necessity, but a luxury and people are able to enjoy them whilst keeping the quality high and fighting for the best price.”