Working front of house as a restaurant manager, Bruce Warrington was keen to follow his passion into the kitchen.
In 2021, the self-taught chef started the Ollie’s Pops street food trailer in Dingwall and hasn’t looked back.
The following year it was part of the Highland Food and Drink Trail which helped to extend its customer base.
Ollie’s Pops was also the first businesses to occupy a pop-up unit in the Victorian Market when it re-opened in 2022 after a £1.8 million refurbishment.
New business opening next month
The pop-up was designed to give different ventures – existing street food traders and new businesses – a taste of running a permanent outlet.
The experience convinced Bruce and fiance Victoria McPherson to make the leap and it is now one of five new businesses due to open shortly in the food hall.
And they already have hopes of taking it a further stage and opening a restaurant in the future.
Bruce and Victoria met while he was a restaurant manager and she was a wedding coordinator.
Ollie’s Pops (so called as Bruce is pops to daughter Olivia, nicknamed Ollie) was started to allow him to cook while cutting back on late nights and hectic hours.
The business started selling coffee and toasties and has grown to develop an ever-evolving menu including pulled meats, tacos and loaded fries.
“I used to love watching people working in the kitchen. I’ve always enjoyed cooking, it’s a real passion”, said Bruce.
“I feel we’re doing something right as people keep coming back and we’ve now built up a massive following.
Eight new jobs created
“Taking the pop-up unit was a big help. We were 50/50 if we should take up a permanent unit or not and that convinced us to go ahead.”
The couple are taking on four new chefs and four counter staff for their new space in the market.
It will also give Bruce more room to be creative with the menu and to think of further expansion.
“I’m already thinking of the next move, which hopefully will be a restaurant”, he said.
“We want to find our feet in the market and, if it’s successful, look at something further down the line.”
However, the popular trailer which started the business will continue around Inverness and other venue including Dingwall and Beauly.
“We don’t want to lose the customers we’ve built up. If they are loyal to us we want to keep going for them.”
Ollie’s Pops will join four other businesses opening in the coming weeks in the growing Victorian Market food hall.
The Redshank has revealed it is opening a second unit, The Mart, later this month.
It will sell burgers and milkshakes, adding to its already popular seafood outlet.
Market is the place to be
Also lined up to open next month is Blazin Pizza, along with a Chinese cuisine outlet and another food business.
“Once it’s full, it’s definitely the place to be”, said Bruce.
Victoria added: “It’s a real up-and-coming destination. Word is still getting out what’s going on here.
“Everyone has their own niche where they can project their own identity without worrying about competition. Everyone is attracting their own customer bases.”
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