As he lay in a hospital bed suffering from a rare form of life-threatening cancer, chef Victor Janssen thought his days in the kitchen were over.

But after a two-year battle to beat the disease he was able to return to the restaurant in Macclesfield he runs with wife Lynne.

And now the couple are celebrating another success, after their eatery La Popote in Marton Village has been handed the Highest Quality Taste Accreditation from Taste Northwest.

The accolade means the venue will now feature on the website www.tastenw.co.uk as well as boast Taste Northwest’s mark of quality, giving customers the reassurance that its produce and cooking techniques are top notch.

The couple’s nightmare began after 65-year-old Victor began experiencing extreme fatigue and constant coughing and Lynne persuaded him to see a doctor.

He was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, an aggressive cancer of the white blood cells, and was rushed to the Christie in Manchester where he spent his first month in isolation.

Victor said: “It was absolutely shocking when I got the news, I will never forget it.”

Lynne, 60, takes up the couple’s story: “Victor spent the next 18 months in hospital undergoing treatment including several intensive courses of chemotherapy, and underwent two vital bone marrow transplants sourced from an anonymous donor from Germany. Slowly but surely, and after nearly two very challenging years, he regained enough strength to get back in the kitchen.”

The pair spent their early years in South Africa where they won many awards and catered for dignitaries including Prince Philip and two South African presidents.

They first came to the UK in 2000 to take over the running of Minmore House in Speyside, where they also landed a string of awards.

But they wanted a venue of their own, and so nine years opened La Popote Restaurant and Garden; a small restaurant, coffee and farm shop. Lynne added: “Since his recovery Victor is now back doing what he loves best the business has just gone from strength to strength.

“So now we have something else to celebrate and we give a heartfelt thank you to Taste Northwest for this recognition.”