A FAMILY business is enjoying a double celebration after changing an Accrington pub into a foodie heaven.

The Paintins who run the Black Horse Food Emporium in Abbey Street are celebrating after mum Kathleen was awarded the OBE last month, and the winning a national ‘Loveliest Deli’ award.

Since opening the deli, the family business, run by David and Kathleen Paintin, their daughter and son-in-law Louise and Martin Teese, and their son and daughter-in-law Simon and Natalie Paintin, has enjoyed success selling artisan bread and speciality meats to shoppers in Accrington.

Now the family has picked up the ‘Loveliest Deli’ title from international drinks company Belvoir, after customers voted online.

The deli success comes soon after Kathleen’s OBE for her voluntary work.

Kathleen, 62, is the founder and chair of North West Network, and was granted the OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to special needs education.

Teacher Kathleen founded the network, dedicated to bringing together North West special needs professionals, 10 years ago. She is also chairman of Hyndburn and Rossendale NSPCC and has spent 30 years supporting East Lancashire children. She said: “It’s lovely, because I have retired from teaching so it was amazing to have my career recognised this way at the end. It’s a great honour.”

The family, which also owns Oswaldtwistle Mills’ Ye Old Sausage Shop, moved into the empty pub in November last year.

Manager Natalie said: “We’ve kept the signage virtually unchanged, but just put ‘Food Emporium’ under Black Horse, so we often get people mistakenly thinking they’re coming into a pub.

“They are usually quite happy to stop and check out the food though and people seem to love what we do.

“We were really happy to have had the support of our customers in voting us the loveliest deli. It’s been lovely to get so much support and people keep telling us we are just what Accrington needs.”