Chorley bus driver not happy after learning Chorley Cakes are actually made in Burnley

“It’s wrong. So wrong,” declared Wayne Christie, who discovered his favourite brand of Chorley Cake is made in a giant factory 25 miles up the M65 in Burnley.

A proud Chorley man, Wayne joked that he wants to see the town’s famous fruit cake handed the same ‘protected status’ as other regional delicacies in Britain.

“It reminded me of the Cornish pasty debate a few years ago”, he said, referring to the ‘protected status’ awarded by the EU to the Cornish Pasty. This meant that pasties made outside Cornwall could no longer legally be described as ‘Cornish’.

“But I do think our products should be kept authentic and made in the towns that bear their names,” added Wayne, who is also a part-time actor.

Some local bakeries still make their own batches of Chorley Cakes, but they are mass produced by Burnley-based Cherrytree Bakery who supply them to shops and supermarkets, including Home Bargains.

But Cherrytree Bakery are not johnny-come-latelys to the Chorley Cake game. In fact, for the Burnley bakery, Chorley Cakes is where it all began.

Baker Gary Entwistle founded the company in 1984 and Chorley Cake was his bread and butter before his company grew into one of the biggest suppliers of sweet treats to Britain’s coffee shop chains, including Costa, in the 2000s.

Today, Cherrytree Bakery produces and distribute over 40 million sweet treats a year from its factory on Farrington Road industrial estate.

What’s the difference between Chorley Cakes and Eccles Cakes?

Simply put – both are filled with currants but Eccles cakes are made with a flaky pastry, while Chorley cakes are made with shortcrust pastry.

Chorley cakes are generally less sweet and thinner and often served with some butter or cheese on top.