EVERYONE has heard of Lancashire hotpot and Yorkshire puddings but this weekend the crowds of people who visit the Nelson Food Festival will see the launch of . . . the Pendle Pie.

Lancashire celebrity chef Paul Heathcote has created a secret pie recipe especially for the annual festival and Philip and Andrew Bannister, who have bakeries in Barrowford, Colne and Nelson, will be baking it.

Nelson Food Festival will take place in the Place de Creil, in the town centre, between 10am and 4pm, with the Pendle Pie being launched at noon.

Food businesses from across Lancashire and Yorkshire will be joining in the fun and Mr Heathcote will set the mood at 11.30am when he cooks up some of his tasty recipes.

Mayor of Pendle Coun Colin Waite said: "It is a great coup for Pendle to have a pie designed by one of the country's leading chefs and we will be asking local people to sample it at the festival. Paul Heathcote's ethos of using quality local produce blends well with our commitment to promoting local food businesses."

The Pendle Pie is made up of potato, carrots, celery, onions and lamb stock.

Andrew Bannister said: "The council approached us to make the pie and Paul Heathcote gave us the recipe.

"There will be enough pie for about 30 to 40 people."

Now in its third successful year, it is the first time that the Nelson Food Festival has had a celebrity chef demonstrate his cooking.

Paul's first restaurant, Heathcote's, opened in Longridge in1990 and he now has restaurants in Preston, Manchester and Liverpool.

Festival organiser Isobel Davies says: "We've been lucky to get Paul as he's one of the country's best and busiest chefs.

"At the moment he's working on ambitious plans to open 12 more restaurants in cities across the country over the next five years."

Alongside the cooking demonstrations there will be a Lancashire Cheese Challenge.

Local people will help to pick the winners from 11 different Lancashire cheese varieties including the traditional Lancashire Tasty and Crumbly and the more unusual varieties such as Forest of Bowland Mature and Apple and Cinnamon Crumbly.

Isobel said: "The Food Festival is bigger than ever this year, with 15 food stalls from around the region and a Farmers' Market to put Pendle and Lancashire on the good food map."

The festival also promises a feast of entertainment with attractions, including The Giant Chef, Food Face Painting and Jazz from the Bourbon Street Roof Raisers, as well as £100-worth of prizes to win, including a meal for two at JJs Restaurant in Colne, a £25 hamper from Morrisons, Farmhouse Biscuits and Mansha Sweets and children's prizes from Morrisons and Woolworths.