TV chef Delia Smith cooked up a storm when she arrived in Lancashire yesterday -- and told Lancastrians you can only cook hotpot one way.

The culinary queen revealed that she only makes Lancashire hotpot with lamb.

Her statement, which stoked up the long-running Lancashire debate over how to make the county's famous dish, was made following a tour of Holland's in Baxenden, which makes another of the North's specialities -- pies.

Shuddering at the suggestion that hotpot could be made with beef instead of lamb, best-selling cookery author Delia insisted: "Hotpot is only hotpot if it is made with lamb and lamb's kidneys. And it has to be served up with red cabbage as well."

Delia was in Baxenden to sign a deal with Holland's, who will now supply her football club, Norwich City, with half-time snacks after the firm's pies and pasties were recommended to her by one of the fans.

She told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph: "The sort of food made in Lancashire is great. It is sort of stuff which was made to be served at football matches. The pies combine good value with quality and that is important these days.

"But you can't beat hotpot. There is only one way to make it, and that is with lamb. It has to be done with lamb's kidneys as well or it isn't really hotpot." Her decision to wade into the hotpot saga -- the traditionalists, the lamb hotpotters, against the modernists, the beef buffs -- received a mixed reception from people in Accrington.

Fifty-something Janet Smith said: "I have always made it with beef because it is cheaper than lamb. I think it tastes just as good."

June Harris, who works at the Womble Inn, in Blackburn Road, said: "I always make it with corned beef. "I can't understand why people think it is so strange.

"I recently made it for my daughter to take to work and all her colleagues wanted the recipe.

"And when my son celebrated his 18th, I served up to more than 30 people and they loved it, especially because I make it with brown sauce as well."

But pensioner Eileen Stubbs, from Accrington, backed Delia: "I don't know about being so specific about what part of the lamb you have to use, but it does have to be lamb -- and it has to have a crust.

"It used to be the scrag end when I was little."

Michelle Johnson, who works at Mannings, in Union Street, added: "I've always known it with lamb but people do use beef because it is cheaper now."

Delia decided to start buying pies from Holland's after she met Norwich fan Mark Sullivan at a match at Bolton's Reebok stadium. He told her Holland's Pies -- on sale at the Reebok -- were the best.

Delia added: "I tried them and I agreed with him.

"They are lovely.

"So much effort obviously goes into making them, they are the ideal football snack."