A POPULAR butcher was starstruck when a well-known TV broadcaster called in to see how his shop make their foodstuffs - and to taste some of their tried-and-tested classics.

Adam Richman, the US presenter of ‘Man vs Food,’ visited Higginsons in Grange when he was in the area as part of a new ‘Football and Food’ project which is currently being filmed.

The series, understood to be based around NBC’s ‘Man Finds Food,’ will see Mr Richman travel around the country’s football grounds with a view to sampling each region’s local grub.

In particular, he is on the lookout for what nourishes the home faithful in the frequently-cold stands week after week.

Stuart Higginson, 69, who owns the butcher’s along with his wife, Pauline, said: “We found him to be a very knowledgeable and genuine chap. We were especially impressed by his passion for food and meats.”

Mr Richman was in the area sampling the famous pies at Morecambe FC and after hearing of the Grange butchers’ reputation for its locally-sourced meat products, his team tracked down his shop and arranged a visit.

Mr Higginson said the TV series’ production team contacted his shop, hoping to be able to try Saltmarsh Lamb, a seasonal speciality that is reared on the natural Saltmarshes of Morecambe Bay.

The presenter’s love for football is well-known, having appeared in 2014’s charity football game Soccer Aid, losing 30kg ahead of the match in a highly-publicised health kick.

An avid Tottenham Hotspur fan, Mr Richman also sponsors the amateur Lincolnshire team, Broadley FC, and has expressed a desire to shoot a series based in the UK, revealing as far back as 2011 in an interview: “I would do a show in the UK in a heartbeat - it’s something that I truly pray will happen”.

Once word began to spread about Mr Richman's visit, a crowd began to gather in and around the shop. Mr Higginson said the star signed autographs and posed for photos with fans.

It has not yet been confirmed when the new UK-orientated series is set to air.