THE owner of a Saltcoats based business has said she hasn't looked back in light of her recent award success.

Bernadette MacKenzie, from Saltcoats herself, owns Ayrshire's Wee Fish Van which was crowned 'Micro Business of the Year' at the 2022 Scottish Women's Awards.

Though the career is a far cry from where Bernadette found herself little over two years ago when she was a long-haul air stewardess with British Airways (BA).

In her previous career, she would travel the globe from the USA and Canada to Hong Kong, serving royalty, movie stars and popstars.

Though now, she jokes, she travels the United States of Ayrshire, serving fresh fish, seafood and everything else that goes alongside it.

Though it hasn't all been plain sailing for the local entrepreneur, who admits times were tough when she had to move away from flying.

She is now more than two years on from when she took her voluntary redundancy from BA after 22 years in the skies.

Lockdown was in full force, and unfortunately the job she once had seemed such a long way off.

She told the Herald: “When I was made redundant, I was upset, there was no jobs, I was even applying for delivery jobs up in Glasgow.”

Though from here, Ayrshire's Wee Fish Van was born - thanks in part to her now husband Douglas MacKenzie, who is a trawlerman on fishing boats.

She bought her iconic van with her redundancy money, and now she can't imagine going back.

Bernadette admitted she had her early reservations, but now she is flying - if you pardon the pun.

She commented: “At the beginning I was like ‘how am I going to remember which fish is which?’, now I’m a dab hand.

"I've not looked back, don’t get me wrong I miss my BA job, but the job I had isn’t there anymore.”

So what exactly is Bernadette's secret, what has taken her from the skies to the seas, and becoming an award winning business woman?

She said: "It’s a dead personal touch. All thanks to my wordly experience of travel.

“We provide a fantastic door to door service in all kinds of weather.

“The most important achievement out of my life changing career is providing a life changing service – sometimes all it takes is a listening ear.”

Though Bernadette is the brains behind the operation, she had plenty of people to thank for ensuring the success of the business.

She added: "I'd like to thank my brother-in-law Iain Mcdougall for all his hard work, Douglas my husband, my son and my daughter, Paige in Arran and all my loyal customers for believing in me and contuing support.

“And I look forward to welcoming new customers.”

For those interested in the business, Ayrshire's Wee Fish Van can be found "tooting around" the Three Towns on a Wednesday.

It stops at: the Adams Avenue shops (9-9.30am); The Braes carpark (10.30-11am); O'Connor high rise flats (11.15-11.45am); Seahorse Bookstore (12-1pm); Knockrivoch estate (2.15-2.45pm); Montfode Drive (3-3.30pm) and various cul-de-sacs in Stevenston.

She can also be found at various stops across the ISle of Arran, and on accasion, at Saltcoats Market.

For more specific details and updates, check out their Facebook page and drop them a message there.