A DOUBLE Michelin star winning chef was so impressed by the cakes produced by two mums in his village that he has introduced them to his menu.

Kenny Atkinson who runs the The Orangery restaurant at the five-star Rockliffe Hall hotel in Hurworth, first came across the cakes at a country show in the village near Darlington last month.

Now he has awarded a contract to The Village Bakery, run by local mums Erica Royle and Lucy Clark, to provide cakes for the afternoon teas at the restaurant.

Mrs Royle, 38, said: "We were thrilled. It is the culmination of 12 months really hard work and just what we needed for the business.

"Our paths had crossed a few times because our children are at the same school, but it really came about after we were doing the Hurworth Country Show at the same time.

"He was doing a cookery demonstration and we had a stall that did well, so he invited us up to Rockcliffe to have a chat.

"He explained the ethos of Rockcliffe Hall was to use local suppliers where possible.

"We started discussing afternoon teas and he said there was a possibility of supplying a range of cakes for that.

"We now supply to them three times a week. It is our biggest regular contract, it is an amazing opportunity to be asked to bake for that kind of establishment."

It is the latest success for the bakery which has only been operating as a business since October last year.

Mrs Royle added: "Lucy and I have been friends and we both always baked.

"We were chatting one morning in the school playground and decided there was a really good idea here and came up with the name and website.

"We are now supplying several corporate clients and getting repeat customers, seeing birthdays coming around again or people we have done wedding cakes for who are now booking christening cakes."

A spokesman for Rockcliffe Hall said: "The hotel prides itself on the fact we use local suppliers whenever possible.

"Kenny is a Michelin star winning chef, he knows what he likes and if he has tasted and chosen them they must be excellent."

In January Kenny Atkinson at The Orangery become one of just 13 establishments across the UK to be awarded three AA rosettes, which is the highest rating the organisation gives.

Mr Atkinson is also well known to television viewers having cooked up winning dishes on The Great British Menu and appeared on BBC 1's Saturday Morning Kitchen.