FOODIES had a shock yesterday when one of Bolton’s most iconic pie shops was hit by power failure.

The owners of Ye Olde Pastie Shoppe on Churchgate were forced to stay closed after a small fire had left them unable to turn on ovens.

Owner Marie Walsh said: “When staff came in they couldn’t get the ovens working so we called out British Gas, and they discovered that an electricity meter had burned out. It must have happened overnight and it must have gone out of its own accord so there was no need to involve the fire brigade.”

The shop is known far and wide for its pasties and pies for which people travel from all over the North West. It has been in the hands of the same family since 1898.

Marie and husband John took over the business after they married in 1961 and have been running it until he had longer term health problems last November. Marie continues to run it with her son Christopher.

She added: “We plan to get the business back up and running as soon as possible but are awaiting a new three phase meter being installed. Hopefully, it will not take too long.”