On Air Now

Airplay40 Rewind

10:00pm - Midnight

Now Playing

Journey

Don't Stop Believin'

Exclusive Interview: Britain's biggest family the Radfords officially open their revamped pie shop

Sue and Noel Radford with three of their children Luke, Tillie and Heidie

Beyond Radio has spoken exclusively to Britain's biggest family the Radfords as they cut the ribbon to officially open their revamped pie shop in Heysham.

Noel and Sue Radford, their children and grandchildren, are the stars of the hit Channel 5 TV show '22 Kids and Counting'.

On Saturday they celebrated the official opening of the Radford's Pie Company shop on Heysham Road after a major refurbishment.

The shop has been known as Faraday's Bakery since the Radfords took over in 1999.

But as dad Noel explained, the family's fame has spread to the extent that they decided to change the name.

The Radfords have around three quarters of a million followers on Facebook and 349,000 subscribers to their YouTube channel.

"We've always been known as Faraday's Bakery, for 50, 60 years at least, but we get people now coming from all over to see us, so it's now Radfords Pie Company," he said.

LISTEN to our interview with Noel Radford and his son Luke

The shop's signage and interior walls have had a redesign, which has been masterminded by Luke.

"I let him loose and I think he's done a really good job," said Noel, who has worked in bakeries for 33 years.

"We've done the shop to match the website - colours, signage, so people recognise it's all one theme."

The Radfords, who live in a converted care home in central Morecambe, appear in their own Channel 5 fly-on-the-wall documentary TV series.

The TV cameras were at the shop on Saturday for the official opening, filming for the next series as Luke cut the ribbon, watched by his proud mum and dad, brothers and sisters, and queues of customers.

The Radfords had offered a free pie to the first 50 customers through the doors on Saturday lunchtime, so the queue down Heysham Road at noon was a long one!

Earlier this year, food hygiene inspectors rated the pie shop 'one star' on the Food Standards Agency five-star scheme.

But a more recent inspection last month awarded the Heysham shop a four-star rating, saying standards had now improved and were 'Good'.

The Radfords also have a pie factory at Middleton, which was given the highest possible food hygiene rating of five stars earlier this year.

Noel and Luke work in the factory where they also deal with online pie orders from customers, while other Radford children Jack, Aimee and Chloe, who is currently on maternity leave, also work in the business.

Mum Sue does too, when she has time while looking after the younger children!

The Radford children are Chris, Sophie, Chloe, Jack, Daniel, Luke, Millie, Katie, James, Ellie, Aimee, Josh, Max, Tillie, Oscar, Casper, Hallie, Phoebe, Archie, Bonnie, Heidie, and Alfie who was stillborn in 2014. The couple also have 11 grandchildren.

Also in the interview, Noel talked about how the family is coping during the cost of living crisis, plans to move house, their recent holidays to the Maldives and Florida, and whether they are likely to have any more children!

Related Story: Radford family announce grand opening of new Heysham pie shop and free pies - Beyond Radio

More from Local News

Local Business Partners

Recently Played Songs

Up next on Beyond Radio