A FARMER'S daughter is the toast of East Lancashire today after her cooking was declared the best in the UK.

And Gill Armer, 33, of Lower Heights Farm, Bolton-by-Bowland, has also been nominated for the Lancashire Woman of the Year title.

Farmers travel from Lancashire and Yorkshire to sample Gill's fare at the Gisburn Auction Mart cafe and one or two have even proposed marriage on the strength of it.

Gill comes from a farming background and as a child would bake every Sunday with her grandmother.

After leaving Bowland High School, in Grindleton, she took a City and Guilds in cooking at Blackburn Catering College, then worked as chief cook at Gisburn Park Hospital. She took over the catering at Gisburn Auction Mart six years ago where her traditional fare soon became a talking point.

Farmers from across the UK were recently invited to vote for their favourite market cafe food and Gill's was a clear winner. She said: "Judges came and tasted the food, then grilled me about cooking for half an hour. I only use local produce and the best quality ingredients. Steak pie is my best seller. I make my own pastry, roast my potatoes in dripping and make gravy from meat stock.

"There is no way farmers around here would put up with instant mash. I always give them a good dinner and, yes, I have received proposals of marriage on the strength of my cooking, although I suspect they were made in jest!"