A SAUCE maker from East Lancashire really has had two major tastes of success.

Nowt Poncy's range, the brainchild of Julian Abel and Karen Walker, now sits on the shelves of Booths supermarkets across the north.

And now the Water-based producer has found itself named as a finalist in The National Family Business Awards.

The pairing founded the sauce company three years ago after Karen stepped away from her role as a headteacher and Julian was also seeking a new challenge.

Their award nomination will see them travel down to London, on July 13, to see if they have been successful.

Karen said: "We are so excited to be recognised as a finalist by such an amazing organisation."

"We have always run our business with integrity, honesty and with the highest standards.

"We feel that this recognition is for all of our hard work and the beliefs we hold about family businesses being the backbone of our country."

The Booths deal came when the Preston-based chain was looking to add more artisan-made products to its stores.

An original pitch in January saw the pair pitch a number of their products.

The Italian range, including the arrabbiata, tomato and basil and the l’amore e pizza sauces, were picked out.