A MUSEUM cook dubbed the Queen of the Pasties by colleagues at an award-winning tourist attraction rolled out her pastry for the last time at the weekend.

Janet Ward, home cook supreme at Killhope, the North of England Lead Mining Museum, hung up her apron on Sunday.

Famed for her pasties, Janet, who lives in nearby Nenthead, made everything in the Killhope Kitchen including her bread and soup.

The daughter of a lead miner, she has spent the past ten years providing traditional North country food at the museum helped by members of her family.

Killhope's manager Ian Forbes said visitors and staff would all miss Janet's delicious home cooking.

He said: "Janet provides high-quality, traditional country cooking and her pasties are her speciality. She knows exactly what her customers like and provides that special personal service.

"We're all very sorry to see her go and will miss her delicious food but Janet deserves her freedom from the kitchen.

"Now we have to begin the task of trying to find someone who can continue Kill-hope's great food tradition."