THREE AWESOME FOOD TRUCKS FROM THE BRITS IN AUCKLAND
When I was growing up in the UK in the 1980s and 1990s, street food to most people was a greasy kebab after a boozy night out. Celebrity chefs were few and far between and bland 'ready meals' from the freezer were part of your weekly diet. The street food scene in the UK is now huge. The national dish is almost certainly still a 'Ruby Murray' (Curry) but street food is now at the forefront of culinary innovation in the UK. The British people might be depressed by Brexit and that gloomy weather but they can now enjoy a truly global array of street food across their nation from Mumbai street food to authentic Ethiopian flat breads.
We are going to feature three awesome food trucks from talented Brits here in Auckland.
-A quick chat with chef and Little Yellow owner Trevor Hubbard-
How did the now iconic Little Yellow truck begin?
Before we purchased the Bedford we had been on the look-out for a food truck for about a year. When we saw ‘Daisy’ was for sale in Wellington it was love at first sight! Like all relationships it has its stressful moments but we love her more today than the day we bought her. She is one beautiful looking food truck.
What is your background?
I’m from a restaurant/private member club background. London born and bred. I have been cooking from the age of 15 and have worked with some of the most amazing chefs from around the world. Food for me has always been about understanding it and respecting it. Let the product shine and always use great products .
What do you love about the street food industry?
So much but most of all I love is the supportive vendor community that we have. It's great catching up with fellow vendors you haven’t seen in a while. Great feedback drives me forward and it's so good to get positive feedback for my food.
What are the biggest challenges in street food?
The weather can be quite a challenge at times and also the hibernation of people over winter. In the UK the weather is 'average' for most of the year so people just tend to wrap up warm and get on with it.
Photo: Little Yellow Food Truck
When Chris Brierley and Jess Baker first arrived in New Zealand, they found their stomachs rumbling for the hearty, strong and simple British flavours that they grew up with. Surrounded by fellow Brits who shared their cravings, they embarked on a culinary mission to bring 'proper British grub' to the streets of Auckland. And so, GRUB was born and the Yorkshire pudding wrap was introduced to these islands.
Their food is strongly influenced by their love for their families’ cooking and the nostalgia of all the tasty meals they grew up eating in the UK.
Chef Dean Wilcockson started The Hungry Swine less than a year ago with the goal of delivering 'epic char-grilled pork belly sandwiches'. He is certainly delivering on that and is building a big following in Auckland. His globally inspired sandwiches are some of the best you will eat inside or outside of the street food scene.
-A quick chat with chef and The Hungry Chef owner Dean Wilcockson-
With a successful background as a chef, why did you choose to start the Hungry Swine?
After working in high-end, fine dining/Michelin restaurants for many years, it was time for a change of direction. I was looking to create something more fun and put me closer to the customer without having to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to set up the business like you do with retail.
What have you found to be the biggest challenges so far?
The biggest challenge from going from a chef to a mobile food business is trying to estimate the number of orders to prepare for. In a restaurant 95% of the time you can use that food the next day but with food trucks sometimes you can go 5 days until your next gig and have some serious wastage on your hands.
Book the Brits for your next party, corporate event or wedding