Stacksteads chef ploughs 22 years of experience into opening coffee shop and bar in his home village
Chef John-Paul Chesworth has ploughed his 22 years of experience into opening his own coffee shop and bar in his home village of Stacksteads. His new premises Bakehouse and Bar is in a former greengrocer in Newchurch Road, and 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>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.
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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.
He said: “We will be having a soft-opening of Bakehouse and Bar on Saturday September 14 for friends, family and suppliers and we will officially be open from Monday September 16. Monday to Thursday we will be open 7am to 4.30pm so customers can pop in for breakfast, a coffee and a chat, a working lunch, meeting up with friends or call in after school with a sit-in or take-away option.
“The barm cakes will be made the traditional way with brewers’ barm, which is the top of the brew and we are looking to open our own brewery in the near future. After the daytime trade on a Friday and Saturday, the premises will become a intimate bar with musicians, snacks, great local beer and a bakery-themed cocktail menu until 10pm.”
John-Paul will be creating an ever-changing seasonal menu with unusual options including switching the trendy smashed avocado for a British version – smashed peas with home-made chilli and lime dressing.
He said: “The chillis are grown in my father’s greenhouse on Todmorden Road. We are keeping everything as local as possible. I am looking at making a sweet potato and mango chutney vegan sausage roll, I am always thinking up new ideas and new meals and I am super excited about opening the business.
“I am super nervous as I have put everything into this, I have put in blood, sweat and tears. I have learnt new skills, how to tile, how to plumb and I can’t wait to welcome people into the business.”
John-Paul thanked his fiancée – the boss – Rachel Crowther for never-ending support and Andy Pilling, who used to have the Old Boot in Bacup, who provided the furniture for the Bakehouse.
For more information contact bakehouseand bar@gmail.com