Member Spotlight: Blend Up

Having dreamed of running their own food business for many years, Nika and Stephen Bracegirdle finally took the leap in September 2026, turning a long-held ambition into a reality with their family-run mobile food trailer. From smash burgers to colourful, flavour-packed sharing boxes, Blend Up is all about good food, generous portions and making people feel welcome.

In this Member Spotlight, Nika shares the story behind Blend Up, the inspiration drawn from her Azerbaijani heritage, the challenges of starting out in the mobile catering industry and how NCASS has helped them along the way. She also tells us about their exciting plans for the future, including a dream to one day open their very own restaurant!

Could you introduce us to Blend Up and tell us the story behind starting your family-run mobile food business?

Blend Up has actually been a dream for quite a long time! Ever since I met my husband, Stephen, we’ve always talked about having our own little pub or restaurant one day.

I’ve always loved being around people; I love chatting, laughing and seeing people enjoying themselves, that’s what makes me happy. When we first started planning Blend Up, the idea was actually fresh fruit smoothies. We thought about adding paninis, and as circumstances changed, we ended up buying a little food trailer and introducing smash burgers, which is funny really because burgers weren’t quite what I’d originally imagined. I’ve always loved colourful food, lots of fresh ingredients, salads, tomatoes and different things people can pick at and share together.

It’s a family business, although I’m the one you’ll usually find inside the trailer doing the cooking. Stephen is my right hand; he helps me so much, especially with moving and towing the trailer – because apparently he still doesn’t trust me to do it! Mind you, he’s managed to bump into a few things himself while reversing it at home, so I’m not quite sure why he’s the expert, but I’ll let him carry on.

We finally started trading in September 2026. We’re still very new and finding our feet, but it’s lovely seeing something we’ve talked about for years actually becoming real.

You’ve worked in different fields, from beauty to supporting autistic children. What made you decide the time was right to pursue your dream?

I’ve done a few different things over the years. I worked in beauty, and for the last four years I’ve been working with children and young people with autism and additional needs. I really enjoyed that work and the young people used to call me Mama Bear, which always made me smile! Even there, I loved being in the kitchen making dinners for them. Some of the young people were quite particular about what they would eat, so I used to try and make things a little more interesting – sometimes even something as simple as making a lasagne into a heart shape, just to make them smile or encourage them to try something different.

I’ve always enjoyed looking after people, and I think food has always been one of my ways of doing that, but the dream of having my own food business was always there in the background. You know how life is, you work, look after your family, pay the bills, and there’s always something else that needs doing in your heart. You keep saying, “One day we’ll do it.” Eventually I thought, well, when is that one day going to come, so we decided to give it a go.

It was nerve wracking leaving a regular income and starting something completely new is a big decision, but I didn’t want to spend another ten years just talking about it and wondering what might have happened.

You’re originally from Azerbaijan, where food plays a big part in life. Has your heritage influenced your love of food or the way you run Blend Up?

Oh, absolutely! I’m originally from Azerbaijan, and we have so many beautiful dishes and different flavours – I wish I had the space to cook some of them in the trailer. But I think it’s more than just the food; where I come from, everything is about family, sitting around the table, sharing food and spending time together.

It doesn’t matter what’s on the table. Sometimes it could be something as simple as warm bread, butter and cheese. It’s the people around you, the chatting, the laughing, everyone sharing whatever you’ve made, that’s what I grew up loving. I think with how busy life is now, we sometimes forget those little moments. Everyone’s rushing to work, rushing home, sorting dinner, getting the children ready for the next day. By the weekend, everyone’s exhausted.

I’d love Blend Up to bring a little bit of that togetherness back. Even something as simple as two friends sharing a big box of nachos, sitting together, picking at the food and having a good chat. That makes me happy and I’m terrible for wanting to feed everyone! I love generous portions. I want people to finish and say, “Oh, I couldn’t eat another bite!”

For me, food doesn’t have to be expensive or look like something from a Michelin-star restaurant, it just needs to taste lovely and be made with care. That’s something I’ve carried with me from Azerbaijan, and I hope it always stays part of Blend Up.

Can you tell us a little about your menu and what customers can expect when they visit your trailer?

Our menu has already had a few changes, and we’ve only just started. We began with fresh fruit smoothies, breakfast baps and smash burgers, but I’ve always wanted to offer something a little different.

Recently I’ve been working on things like slow-cooked beef chilli nachos and grilled chicken flatbread boxes, with fresh salads, tomatoes, cucumber, herbs and different sauces. I love food with lots of colour and flavour and food you can share – the sort of thing you put in the middle of the table and everyone just digs in.

I try to keep our prices affordable too as I know how expensive everything is these days, especially for families. We also use local suppliers where we can as I like knowing where our ingredients are coming from and supporting other businesses around us.

I’ve got so many more ideas, but there’s only so much you can do in a little trailer with one grill, so at the moment I’m learning to keep the menu smaller and concentrate on making everything as good as I can. When people come to Blend Up, I hope they get lovely food, a friendly welcome and probably a little chat from me as well.

As a brand-new business, what have been the biggest challenges and highlights of getting started?

I think when you first dream about having your own food business, you imagine yourself cooking, serving lovely food and meeting people. You don’t quite realise how much work goes on before you even open that little serving window. I did a lot of research before we started. We actually found our trailer advertised on the NCASS website, and that was one of the first big steps for us.

For me, joining NCASS was a priority because I wanted to make sure I was doing everything properly. The insurance, food safety, paperwork, risk assessments, all those things you don’t really think about when you’re dreaming about cooking. Honestly, becoming a member was one of the best decisions I made. There was so much information available, and having that guidance made me feel much more confident about getting started.

I think the biggest challenge has been finding regular places to trade, that’s something I didn’t quite realise would be so difficult. You can spend hours preparing food, buying ingredients, getting the trailer ready, and then have a really quiet day and when you’re a new business, that’s hard because the bills don’t stop.

There have been some lovely moments too. Our first trading day, meeting customers, trading at UCLan Freshers’ Week, and getting messages from people saying how much they enjoyed our food; those little things really do keep you going.

We’re still finding our feet, and some days are harder than others, but I’m proud we’ve actually started something we talked about for so long.

Congratulations on achieving your 5-star food hygiene rating! How did it feel to receive this recognition so early?

Oh, I was absolutely over the moon. We received our five-star food hygiene rating on 22nd September, just a week after we started trading and I have to say, NCASS played a big part in helping me prepare for that.

When I became a member, I received the food safety management system book at home. It was quite a big book, and there was a lot to read, but honestly, it helped me so much. I spent time going through everything, getting my paperwork together, checking my food safety procedures and making sure I understood what I needed to do.

I wanted everything to be ready before we started trading and not leave things until the last minute, so when the food hygiene inspection happened and we received five stars, I was so proud.

It wasn’t just about getting a rating. It was knowing that all those hours spent reading, learning and preparing had been worth it. I really do appreciate the help I had from NCASS along the way. I don’t think I would have felt nearly as confident without that guidance. For me, it was one of those moments when I thought, right, maybe I really can do this!

You joined NCASS while preparing to launch Blend Up, how did it help you navigate the practical side of setting up your business?

Oh, honestly, I can’t thank NCASS enough. When you’re starting a business for the first time, you have so many questions and sometimes you don’t even know what you should be asking.

From the beginning, whenever I’ve sent an email, messaged or picked up the phone, they’ve always been so helpful and friendly. Plus, do you know what I really appreciate? It’s the way they talk to you. They never make you feel silly for asking something. They take the time to explain things, and that makes such a difference when you’re new and trying to find your confidence.

The food safety management system has been a huge help with organising my paperwork, and the app is really easy to navigate too. There’s so much useful information available.

And of course, I can’t forget the vouchers and discounts. When you’re starting with a little money and a very big dream, every bit of saving helps!

I honestly think joining NCASS was one of the best decisions I made when starting Blend Up.

It’s not just about having insurance or paperwork sorted. It’s knowing that when I’m unsure about something, there’s somebody I can ask.

Even now that we’re trading, I’m still learning and still asking questions. I probably always will be!

You’ve spoken about wanting people to feel like guests rather than customers. Why is creating that welcoming experience so important to you?

Because that’s just how I am! I love people, I love having a chat, having a laugh and getting to know them. Sometimes I probably talk too much when I’m supposed to be cooking!

I don’t want somebody to walk up to my trailer, hand over their money, collect their food and feel like that’s it. I want them to feel welcome.

Maybe they’ve just been walking the dog, or they’re passing by with the children, or they’ve had a long day at work and just want something nice to eat. I’d love them to think, “Oh, let’s stop at Blend Up.”

I genuinely care about whether people enjoy their food. Even after someone walks away, I’m thinking, did they like it? Was there enough? Did I put everything in? Will they come back? I know I probably shouldn’t worry so much, but I do.

Of course I want the business to make money. We all have bills to pay. But I don’t want to lose that personal side of it. If somebody leaves with a full tummy and a smile, and remembers us as a friendly little place, then I’ve done something right.

What are your hopes and plans for Blend Up over the coming months?

At the moment, my biggest hope is to find somewhere regular to trade around Preston or South Ribble. We’ve been visiting different pubs, events and locations, and I’ve really enjoyed meeting people, but I’d love somewhere that customers know they can find us every week. Somewhere local, where we can get to know people and become part of the community.

I’m also working on the menu. Trying different things, listening to feedback and seeing what people enjoy. I’ve got so many ideas for fresh, colourful food and sharing boxes, but I have to be realistic about what I can actually prepare in our little trailer. And of course, I want the business to become financially stable. I think that’s the part people don’t always talk about. When you’re starting something new, you’re putting so much into it, and it takes time before you start seeing the results. But I’m not expecting everything to happen overnight. I just want to keep moving forward, even if it’s one little step at a time.

You mentioned that your dream is to open a Blend Up restaurant one day. Can you tell us more about that ambition?

That’s still the big dream. I’d absolutely love to have a Blend Up restaurant one day and I can already imagine what I’d want it to feel like. Nothing too fancy or formal. Somewhere warm, welcoming and full of people enjoying themselves. I’d love families sitting together, friends sharing food, people chatting, laughing and taking their time. Finally, I’d have a proper kitchen!

I’d love to make all those dishes I’ve got in my head. Lots of colourful salads, different sharing plates, fresh ingredients, and hopefully some Azerbaijani dishes too. I’d want people to feel comfortable coming in, whether they’re dressed up for an evening out or just popping in after a walk. And yes, I did say hopefully sooner than five years.

Maybe I’m being a bit ambitious,but I think you’ve got to have dreams, haven’t you? I know there’s a lot of hard work between where we are now and opening a restaurant. First I need to make this little trailer successful, but I can picture it, and that’s something that keeps me going.

What advice would you give someone thinking about launching their own mobile food business, particularly if they’re new to the industry?

First of all, I’d say speak to NCASS and I’m genuinely not just saying that because I’m a member!

We actually found our trailer advertised on the NCASS website. When you’re starting a business, especially with limited money and a big dream, you can’t afford to make expensive mistakes. Trust is so important.

We’d been looking for a trailer, and when I spotted one advertised through NCASS, I contacted the owners and we arranged to go and see it. It was practically brand new. They’d only managed to trade for a day or two before illness meant they had to sell it. We went to have a look, loved it and ended up buying it and do you know what’s lovely? We’ve actually stayed friends with them. I still message them sometimes, telling them how the trailer is doing, where we’ve been trading and how Blend Up is getting on. So we didn’t just come away with a trailer, we made friends for life too. I think that’s quite special.

But I’d also tell anyone starting out to really think about where they’re going to trade before spending all their money. That’s been one of my biggest lessons. You can have a beautiful trailer, lovely food and everything ready, but finding regular pitches isn’t always easy.

Don’t feel you have to know everything straight away. I certainly didn’t, and I’m still learning. Ask questions, take advice, keep your menu manageable and be prepared for some difficult days.

Starting a business is exciting, but it’s also frightening when you’ve got bills to pay and you’re putting your savings into something you believe in.

I’d still encourage someone to follow their dream. Just do your homework, find people you can trust and don’t be afraid to ask for help along the way

What are you most looking forward to as Blend Up continues to grow?

I think I’m looking forward to the day when I can look back at these first few months and smile. Right now, we’re right in the middle of it; some days are lovely, some days are really hard, and I’m still trying to work everything out. I’d love Blend Up to become a name that people recognise around Preston and South Ribble Lancashire, I’d love regular customers who come looking for us, people bringing their friends along, families sharing our food and enjoying themselves. I’d love to see how far we can take it.

Maybe one day we’ll have that restaurant we’ve been talking about since Stephen and I first met 28 years ago. I’d love that more than anything. But for now, I’m proud that we’ve actually started. It might only be a little tiny trailer, but there’s a lot of love, hard work and hope behind it.

Hopefully, one day, I’ll be sitting having a coffee with you telling you how that little trailer became something much bigger!

Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention how we came up with the name Blend Up. It was actually my youngest daughter’s idea. When we were first planning to sell smoothies, she said, “Mum, it’s all about blending things up!” That’s how Blend Up got its name!

Follow Blend Up:

Instagram

Facebook