Ollie’s Pops has come far from where things started off: “a wee pitch in Dingwall” serving coffee and toasties.
Armed with their coffee machine and a grill for toasties, Victoria McPherson and Bruce Warrington dipped their toes into the Highland street food scene back in 2021.
“It was fine,” laughs Victoria.
“I remember days when we would make a £10 profit – and we were always buzzing.”
But then, when a nearby business asked if they could provide food for an event, the pair decided to ditch the basics.
“We said: let’s see if we could get into hot food,” says Victoria.
“Bruce was so nervous to do the cooking at that time.
“But then we took the leap, changed all our equipment, and started making pulled burgers, loaded fries and more.
“From there on, Ollie’s Pops has really grown and developed.
“I never expected it to become something like this – and it’s only the beginning.”
How did Ollie’s Pops start?
Before the coffee and toasties, now engaged couple Victoria and Bruce came up with the idea to start a food truck as a way to spend more time with their daughter.
“We had our daughter in 2020, and that was the turning point,” explains Victoria.
“I was a wedding coordinator, and Bruce was a restaurant manager. So we both had pretty hectic schedules.
“Bruce would sometimes not be home until one in the morning.
“We longed for more of a flexible lifestyle that would allow us to spend more time with our daughter.”
Now, Ollie’s Pops have their own food truck, as well as a unit in Inverness’ Victorian Market food hall.
The name Ollie’s Pops refers to their daughter, Olivia, nicknamed Ollie by her grandad, and the name she has for her dad, Bruce.
“Since it all began because of her,” says Victoria, “it’s nice to give a wee nod to her.
“It’s funny, because everyone assumed Bruce is Ollie – and he’s like yeah, sure, and goes along with it.”
What food is on offer at Ollie’s Pops?
The food at Ollie’s Pops includes a range of loaded fries, burgers and other meat dishes.
“We started off with pulled pork, and that is always a firm favourite,” says Victoria.
“We’ve done loaded fries and a burger too.
“Then there’s the honey shredded chicken that everyone goes mad for.
“We also do Korean beef loaded fries.
“And we both love exploring new things.
“Having our own flexibility to test out something different is great.”
Another favourite part of running Ollie’s Pops for Victoria is getting to know their customers.
“One of my favourite things is meeting so many new faces,” she says.
“We have built up relationships with lots of our customers over the years.
“I’d like to thank everyone who has visited us and supported us.
“We wouldn’t be able to do this without the support from our customers.”
Conversation