MORE than 70 years of baking has seen a Bolton firm rise to the top.

Carrs Pasties has finished off one of its busiest years by celebrating the opening of a new shop in the Market Place Shopping Centre. It is Carrs' fourth outlet and the next step on the ladder of the family firm's growing success.

Joseph Carr runs the company with his brothers Matthew and Liam, and his father John.

He said: "Up to now we have been a pretty slow-growing firm but obviously everyone in Bolton knows us. We wanted a flagship store in the town which shows us off.

"We have decided to be a bit adventurous and rather than come in, make pasties and go home, we are now promoting the pasties because we love them so much.

"The feedback from the town has been fantastic."

Carrs' story started in 1938 when Nellie Carr and Annie Mullineux, who owned a tripe shop in Halliwell Road, decided to sell the pasties they made for the family.

The food was so well received they soon became the main focus of the business and in 1976 the firm moved into a purpose-built factory in Manchester Road where it still produces the pasties today.

As well as housing the production facility, the Manchester Road factory has a shop and a Carrs outlet can also be found in Bolton Market.

It also continues to sell from its birthplace at the store in Halliwell Road and the pasties can be found on sale at a number of retailers as far as Blackpool.

Today Carrs employs a team of just under 90 people and produces on average 13,000 pasties a day.

It comes into 2017 celebrating one its busiest years, producing a record more than 20,000 pasties in one day this December and achieved a turnover of £3 million.

Mr Carr added: "Our real driver isn't profit, it is making sure we do not lose the quality.

"Our vision is to be the best known pastie in the North West. It doesn't mean selling the most but to the best.

"There are four bakeries in Bolton, which is fantastic to have because we have a great heritage. Everyone loves a good bakery - it makes people happy!"

The new store opened on December 2 with staff going out into the town centre to hand out samples and promote their new home.

Manager Anne Roberts, who has worked at Carrs Pasties for 20 years, said: "We have been planning for a few years to get a shop in the town centre so it is really good to be here.

"It is a family run business and people that have come in to the store have said how glad they are that we are in the town centre now.

"We keep it basic at Carrs and don’t do too many experiments.

"Our food doesn’t have any added ingredients so no additives and we do a lovely thin pastry that just melts in the mouth and has a lot of filling in it.

"We are Bolton through and through from the person on the pastry maker to the person here at the till.

"Everything is made in Bolton and everything is local produce."

Nikki Cook-Wilson, Market Place manager, said the store was delighted at its success so far.

She added: "What is good about it is that it is very important to us to get local and independent business as part of the mix.

"Carrs are born and bred and made in Bolton so it is fantastic to have them on board."