A ‘FOODY’ couple who saved a country pub from the brink of dereliction after spotting it on a tandem bike ride have scooped an award for their French cuisine.

Katherine Lachance and Steve Hodgson rescued the Black Bull at Rimington after cycling past the boarded-up building on their tandem.

The pair, from Pleasington have transformed the pub, which sits close to Pendle Hill, into a traditional French country inn.

It was recently named Lancashire Life’s Lancashire Dining Pub of the Year.

Former management consultant Katherine said: “I’m an American running a French pub in Lancashire but somehow it has been a recipe for success.

"We found the Black Bull when we were out cycling on our tandem and fell in love with the idea of rescuing it, along with bringing the type of romantic place we loved to dine in to the Ribble Valley.

“We decided on the French theme because my surname is French and because it has romantic connotations for us as a couple.

“We are both foodies and Steve wooed me with his French cooking when we first met and also took me to Paris on our honeymoon.

“We also looked at the marketplace and there were no French-style inns in the Ribble Valley, which gave us a unique selling point.”

Before taking control of the pub, Katherine and Steve did not have any experience in the hospitality industry.

Katherine said: “The secret isn’t just in great food and lovely rooms. It’s in the atmosphere, the friendships with our guests.

“We give them a warm Lancashire welcome, the kind that the Ribble Valley is famous for. There’s no French froideur or hauteur here.”