A chef has ploughed his 22 years of experience into opening a coffee shop and bar in his home village of Stacksteads.

John-Paul Chesworth's new premises Bakehouse and Bar is in a former greengrocer in Newchurch Road.

It will not just be selling his own Bacup Pie food, but also the best local produce including Cissy Green’s meat pies, Heritage Kitchen Preserves, local sausages and cheese.

John-Paul, 38, said: “I started my career at 16 taking a bus and two trains to work with Michelin-starred Paul Heathcote in Longridge.

“I would finish at Accrington and Rossendale College on a Friday afternoon and then sofa surf at work over the weekend, but the experience I got set me in good stead, gave me a great work ethic and has enabled me to do what I can do now.”

He has worked at many establishments all over the North West, including 11 years in the Lake District, and several businesses in Rossendale and Ramsbottom, then in 2019 he set up Bacup Pie after his mother died.

During Covid he cooked pies at home and delivered them to people shielding and helped out anyone struggling financially with any food that was left over.

Thanks to help and advice from GrowTraffic directors Simon Dalley and Rachel Weinhold, he then started on Bacup Market and set up Grubs Up which successfully brought people to the market on a Friday evening.

Now Bacup Pie operates a regular market stall at Todmorden and pop-ups at events all over East Lancashire.