A former drug addict has described how he has bounced back after "hitting rock bottom" through cocaine and alcohol abuse to launch his own business.
At his lowest point, Felixstowe man Sam Phillips became suicidal, but he has now been sober for three years and has ventured into the world of dining by launching his own sandwich bar Dare to Dip Samwiches in the town's Hamilton Road.
His new diner provides specialist home made delicacies, including a Texas Barbecue Chilli sandwich made from a slow roast brisket of beef and he is set to sell sandwiches featuring a slow roast shoulder of pork.
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Customers can also choose from pigs in blankets, sausage rolls, pastries and croissants, while there is a breakfast menu with sausages and bacon.
Mr Phillips described how he was diagnosed as a hypochondriac, someone who is anxious about their health, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he kept relapsing into drink and drugs and thought he had the virus.
So he looked online for ways to deal with this anxiety and discovered that immersing yourself in cold water can help you to cope.
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In response, he decided to challenge himself by going for dips in the North Sea and he set up a Dare to Dip group with like-minded swimmers, which grew from a couple of friends to begin with, to more than 400 people who go in the water near the pier at 6.30am daily.
Mr Phillips, who has been homeless twice, said the cold water dips had been a "massive part of his recovery" and had enabled him to work on his self-discipline.
These lifestyle changes gave him the impetus to start Dare to Dip Samwiches, which launched on Thursday with a "grab and go" menu.
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He said: "I wanted to do something on my own for a long time and I am nearly 40 now. So it was now or never and I don't want to have any regrets. I wanted to give it a try."
Mr Phillips, who has two daughters Elise, 13 and Mya, 12, wanted his new lease of life to be an example to others who find themselves in a similar situation.
He said: "I was pretty bad, I was suicidal at one point. I had just given up. My health was really bad. My doctor told me that I was producing too many red blood cells. I looked at my two daughters and realised that I needed to sort myself out.
"What I like to say to people is that if you are sat in the dark now, it won't be long before the light goes on and you can bounce back."
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