A Bolton grandma whose home-cooked full English takeaway breakfasts went viral on Youtube during lockdown has opened her very own cafe.
Appearing in what was then described as the ‘most Northern video in history’, grandma and self-taught chef Marion Love was catapulted to fame last year in a somewhat unlikely fashion.
The 50-year-old quickly gained notoriety online after a Leeds Youtuber shared a hilarious video of himself eating a full English breakfast, during the height of lockdown, at a put-up table on the pavement outside her Bolton gaff.
Image: Grandma’s Kitchen
As a result of the video, which was viewed over a million times in the space of a few weeks, people started travelling from far and wide to sample her food – leading her little DIY cheffing operation to become a full-blown business within a matter of weeks.
Now, she’s just opened her first cafe – the aptly named Grandma’s Kitchen – over in Farnworth.
ADVERTISEMENT
Serving up her famous full English breakfast, the bistro-style cafe also offers a range of other popular breakfast favourites like eggs benedict and breakfast burritos, as well as lunches like Italian sandwiches and a Korean chicken brioche bun, reports The Hoot.
The 50-year-old had first started cooking her dishes from home for takeaway-only during lockdown, inspired after seeing some success on her Instagram food blog – which first started in 2017.
ADVERTISEMENT
Image: Grandma’s Kitchen
Having begun by sharing recipes for meals, it was during the height of the pandemic -when many restaurants and bars were either closed or forced to offer takeaway only – that she decided to start selling her food from home.
Making the trip over from Leeds, Malin set up his now-infamous portable table outside Love’s front door to ensure his fry-up was as hot as can be.
After giving her full English breakfast a rave review, he then proceeded to polish off some of her homemade cookies for dessert on camera. The rest, as they say, is history.
ADVERTISEMENT
As a result of the video, Marion said that she received thousands of messages of support as well as gaining loads of new followers and customers.
Her cafe in Farnworth has been in the works since 2019, but its construction was delayed due to the pandemic. Now, it is open at last – with a little extra fanfare thanks to that viral video.
Dame Sarah Storey is going on Strictly Come Dancing 2026
Danny Jones
Record-breaking local athlete and Paralympian, Dame Sarah Storey, is set to become the latest to join the Strictly Come Dancing annals.
With the Strictly cast for 2026 steadily being unveiled, we always keep an eye out for the Greater Manchester names in particular.
That being said, we’re buzzing to see the hugely successful Stockport swimmer turned cyclist will be swapping her Team GB kit for sparkly, sequined ballroom gowns and an entirely different type of sport and fitness.
Announced on Friday, 17 July, Storey is the seventh celebrity to be confirmed for the 24th series of the hit BBC show and dancing competition.
Having represented her country not only at nine Paralympics but across two different disciplines after switching to the racing bike back in 2005, she’s our most decorated competitor in the entire history of the Games with 30 medals to her name – 19 of which are gold.
Absolute GOAT levels.
But now the Cheadle Hulme-born is once again set to show her versatility to see how she fares on the dance floor later this year.
Commenting ahead of the new-look season which starts this September, the 48-year-old said: “Embarking on a new challenge so soon after stepping down as an athlete is hugely exciting.
“I have always loved watching Strictly, and my daughter Louisa is a very talented dancer, so to be able to learn from the best and hopefully understand even more about her world is incredibly motivating! I can’t wait to get started!”
This latest sea-change comes not long after the local legend and sporting icon officially announced her retirement from professional sport more than three decades on from first bursting onto the scene.
Thank you for taking the time to leave all the incredible messages. It’s so wonderful to read them and thank you for being the greatest supporters 🥰
— Dame Sarah Storey (@DameSarahStorey) July 9, 2026
What a career she’s had; it obviously didn’t take her long to get tired of sitting still for once, either.
She will be joined by the likes of Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton, Cach Mercer and Will Best.
In case you missed it, the upcoming edition of Strictly Come Dancing will be the first since Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman stepped down, with Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and pro dancer Johannes Radebe stepping in as replacements.
In other starring Stockport news, we’ve finally got more info on the final season of a popular programme filmed in the area. Find out more down below.
Two more people arrested as investigation into Dovestone Reservoir moorland fire continues
Emily Sergeant
Two more people have been arrested as part of the ongoing investigation into the devastating moorland fire near Dovestone Reservoir.
Yesterday (16 July 2026), a 19-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of arson and has been bailed pending further police enquiries, before a man in his 20s has today (17 July) been arrested on suspicion of arson, and remains in custody for questioning.
These follow the arrest and subsequent charging of 20-year-old Shania Care-Slede, from Hyde.
Care-Slede has been charged with aggravated arson, being reckless as to whether life was endangered, and dangerous driving, and was remanded in custody before appearing at Manchester Magistrates’ Court this past Tuesday (14 July).
After the blaze broke out this past Saturday evening (11 July) at the popular beauty spot in Oldham, prompting a major multi-agency response, fire crews from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) have been working around the clock in challenging conditions to contain the fire and prevent further spread across the moorland.
Specialist wildfire resources, command support units, drone technology, and partner agencies have also been deployed as operations continue across multiple sectors of the incident.
To make matters worse, ‘strong’ winds carried smoke across parts of Greater Manchester – with reports of haze and the smell of burning being received from areas well beyond the immediate vicinity of the fire.
With three major arrests having already now been made, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) says its officers are continuing to pursue a number of lines of enquiry and are seeking to identify any other individuals who may have been involved.
“This investigation has been progressing at pace, we are nearly a week on and the fire at Dovestones is still ongoing, and it has had devastating effects it has had on the Reservoir,” commented Detective Inspector Andrew Day, of GMP’s Oldham division said.
“As this incident continues, officers would like to thank all emergency service partners for their support and dedication.
“In particular, our colleagues at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, whose firefighters have spent countless hours tackling the fire in demanding conditions.”