Collapsed restaurant Momma Cherri's Soul Food Shack could be bought and run by her daughter with all debts cleared, it emerged today.

The restaurant hit the ropes in December last year when owner Momma Cherri - real name Charita Jones - declared herself bankrupt.

Now it has emerged that Mrs Jones's daughter Katryna Thomas-Shell is planning to buy the business.

If successful it would mean she could start with a clean slate.

The restaurant rose to fame after appearing on Channel 4's Gorden Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares.

Mrs Jones started the restaurant, which serves food inspired by the American South, with her husband Phil and within weeks of their TV appearance had a six-month waiting list for bookings at their tables.

But the popularity surge led the pair to give up the original premises and name - the Soul Food Shack - and move to a new two-storey premises on Little East Street, Brighton.

The new venue seats 100 people and the name changed to Momma Cherri's Big House.

But it was indeed a big house, too big in fact for demand and within a year and a half later the business had gone under.

For a month Miss Thomas-Shell has been running the restaurant under licence from the administrators.

The 28-year-old has worked with her mother for seven years and now claims to have put in a successful offer to take it over.

Miss Thomas-Shell told the Argus: "I had an offer accepted but it's still a very delicate time and things won't be finalised for a few days.

"I'll keep the name and the rights to mum's books and ingredients and in fact mum will still be here.

"The menu, and soul in a bowl set menu will stay the same but mum will revamp it so it's more tapas in style."

Miss Thomas-Shell, who is a single mum of a one-year-old daughter, Ellis, has sold her flat on Grand Avenue, Hove, to buy the business. She said: "I'll be starting at zero. Mum and Phil's debts are not my responsibility.

"People just have to look at it as if they're not part of my family.

"I've been working hard front of house for seven years so I know where they went wrong.

"This is about me and mum. I want to show everyone that what happened was awful but you can't keep these women down."

Miss Thomas-Shell has attended business training in Sussex as well as a year of management training in a restaurant in London.

But, Baker Tilly, the accountants in charge of the administration of the restaurant remain more cautious about the takeover.

Anna Rainbow from Baker Tilly said: "I think she may be getting ahead of herself.

"The market is still open for other bids and offers.

"She has a strong case because she has experience with the restaurant but a more experienced restaurant manager may come along. In which case Katryna may only play a role in it."