Coronation Street legend Simon Gregson has revealed he often works at his wife Emma's café when he isn't filming the long-running ITV soap.
Emma took over a popular tearooms in Cheshire last October, after realising a dream to own her own tea shop, and she is now showcasing her incredible talent for baking.
She gets up at the crack of dawn every morning to bake an array of traditional cakes for the café, before heading to set up and serve up an array of hot and cold dishes and teas and coffees at the tearooms itself, the MEN reports.
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Simon often helps out too, and his Corrie co-stars sometimes visit for Emma's baked treats. The 48-year-old said: "Sometimes when we're busy I'll help out, but Emma doesn't need or want my help really.
"I've had a few colleagues in and they'll say 'you're not really taking my order are you?' but I do it more as a laugh."
He also admitted he likes to pop down to the café just so he can sample some more of Emma's cooking. Simon added: "It's amazing what Emma has done already here, I'm so proud. People are queuing out of the door for her cakes.
"There's a group of ladies here who want to nominate her for an award for her cakes, and people are now coming in asking if they can buy whole Victoria sponges they're that popular."
Emma and Simon had visited the tearooms, which is part of the Morley Nurseries and garden centre site, for years as customers as they live nearby in Wilmslow with their three children. So when they found out that the previous owners were preparing to leave last year, Emma jumped at the chance to take over.
Emma said: "I'm working seven days a week but I love it. I'd always said I wanted a café and years ago when Simon and I first met I bought a tea set and said to him 'one day I'm going to have a tea shop'. Now, 15 years later, here we are, it's come true."
The tearooms are busy throughout the week with a host of local clubs and groups meeting up for afternoon teas and for catch-ups, with a large outdoor terrace as well as indoor seating. And they're hoping to soon get a later licence so they can host bingo nights and events too in the evenings.
Emma has got used to queues out of the door at lunchtimes and weekends as word has swiftly spread about her home-cooked treats. The menu includes full English breakfasts for £8.95, toasties for £5.95, jacket potatoes from £4.50 and omelettes for £7.95.
But it's her home-baked Victoria sponge, chocolate cakes and lemon drizzle that are among the biggest hits, sold for £3.50 a slice.
With Simon a household name, Emma said there's often soap banter from customers. She added: “The amount of times I get asked 'are we putting on Betty’s hotpot' you wouldn’t believe”.
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