A chef and business owner has gone from a failing salon to a booming food business that has gone viral on two occasions in the last two months.
Steph Collinson from Southport made the difficult decision to close her salon 12 months ago due to the ongoing uncertainties around the coronavirus pandemic. The mum-of-three then decided to take the leap and invest in a butty van, named after her youngest daughter Lourdes.
She was based in a lay by in Burscough but her luck was down and was "robbed" twice in the short time she was there. Thanks to her dad, a massive Southport FC fan, she was given an opportunity she couldn't resist.
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When the club was let down by caterers one matchday, she got a call from her dad who was at the match and Steph came to the rescue, pitching up in the away end. That was in November and now she has two vans set up in the home and away ends with eight members of staff serving hundreds every other week.
Thanks to Southport's link with Everton, she also serves food at Everton U23 matches as well. It was two Southport matches that proved to be the highlight of her time there as she has now had two of her mouthwatering dishes shared by thousands on social media thanks to the @FootyScran Twitter account.
Her dirty fires were the first to feature, with Piers Morgan's son Spencer weighing in as well. Most recently her Lourdes burger was one that caught the eye of the matchday food page.
The 39-year-old, mum to Aaliyah, 16, Bella, 11, and Lourdes, two, told the ECHO about how amazing it has been after a turbulent time. She said: "It all started when I was going through a really bad time. I opened my butty van in Burscough by the tip in a little layby but I got robbed there twice. I was scared and didn't want to go back because it was just a layby.
"My initials are actually SFC because my dad is obsessed with them. I had all this personal stuff going on and then one day the caterers let them down when my dad was at the match so he called me. I got in touch with the club and I came in and did the away end.
"I was just happy to be there but I wasn't really making any money. But I think I've found my niche now. I've now got the home end, the away end and two vans. It's just amazing. Everyone at Southport is so good."
