HINTS and tips on creating tasty healthy dishes without breaking the bank were given to families as part of a members-only shop's outreach programme.

Participants learned how to make cheap, nutritious and tasty meals during the workshops run by Friends of Fun Food.

The 'slow cooking' sessions were provided to residents on the Johnson Fold Estate as part of the Storehouse Pantry, a subscription-based grocery concept, where for a weekly fee shoppers pick up food products worth much more.

Based at the Hope Centre in Tattersall Avenue in Johnson Fold, the pantry is now more than a year old and two new branches are in the pipeline.

Dave Bagley, the chief executive of Urban Outreach that helps deliver the project, said: "We have now expanded the service to include a range of other support, including money, debt and healthy living advice in partnership with Bolton at Home and Bolton Council.

"Our vision is that this will become the blueprint for delivering similar support in other priority areas across the borough."

The slow cooking workshops are backed by the national Warm Homes Campaign run by fuel poverty charity National Energy Action, which provided funding for each participant to receive a free slow cooker.

Clare Maskrey, of Bolton Money Skills Services, said "Based on our experience, we expect to be able to help people save an average of up to £200 on their annual fuel bill.

"We will be helping them in looking at switching energy suppliers and tariffs.

"At the same time we are helping people learn about which appliances in the home are the most costly to run."

More than 90 members – low income families who do not qualify for foodbank vouchers – use the not-for-profit Storehouse Pantry each week.

Items on the shelves are sourced through public donations or supermarkets' landfill avoidance schemes and in return for a £2.50 weekly fee, customers get to take home a basket of goods worth £15 to £20.