Great British Bake Off contestants had to make Rum Nicky last night – and judge Paul Hollywood picked up the recipe in West Cumbria.

In the quarter finals, screened last night on Channel 4, the bakers were tasked with creating forgotten bakes and Cumberland rum Nicky was the centrepiece of the technical challenge.

The contestants had to make the shortcrust pie, filled with chopped dates, butter, sugar, ginger and rum and rum butter.

Hollywood was in Whitehaven in 2013 for his show Pies and Puds and visited Whitehaven Record Office, The Beacon and The Rum Story.

Pies and Puds, broadcast in November 2013, featured Rum Nicky.

At The Beacon in 2013, local historian Anne Cook was on hand to help.

She said at the time: “We did one-and-a-half hours of filming and it went so smoothly and I really enjoyed it.

"He was amazed at Whitehaven’s history and was even asking me questions. He was so impressed with the town.”

Copeland Council worked with the chef’s production team to arrange the visit.

Hollywood told fellow judge Prue Leith last night: "I discovered this recipe three or four years ago."

At the time of his visit, he tweeted a picture of himself on Whitehaven harbour and said: “Thankyou to people of Whitehaven you’ve cheered me up x.”