Food on the go

Where to find your favourite food trucks and restaurant takeovers this season

The County is quickly being recognized as a place to go to for great restaurants, but it’s always been the traditional establishments in bricks and mortar form. Recently there has been a movement underway of catering companies and food trucks breaking the mould of what a traditional restaurant looks like. The co-habitation of catering companies intermingling with wineries, breweries and restaurants is making the culinary scene in the County even more intriguing. Restaurant takeovers by catering companies have become a win-win situation for everyone involved. For the restaurant, it gives the kitchen staff and the chef an opportunity to take a well-needed night off, saving on both food and staffing costs. For wineries and breweries, it gives them the chance to offer food without having to build an expensive kitchen. A food truck or catering company can show up on a day, or series of days, offer a menu to their clients and vanish the next day like it never happened. It creates a symbiotic relationship where both parties can come out ahead.

Here are the highlights of who’s doing what, where, and for how long in the world of food trucks and catering for the 2018 season.

Rebecca Hunt of Picnic in her new kitchen, which she calls her “happy place”.

Picnic PEC is owned and operated by Rebecca Hunt in Wellington. Her focus has always been to provide a different experience from the traditional food trucks of the past. A health-conscious menu with a farm-to-table mentality is what has made her unique and one of the marquee destinations for food on the go in the County. Recently Hunt retrofitted the back of her house into a corporate kitchen with all the bells and whistles needed to prepare food. Hunt is into her fifth season with the Picnic food truck and this year she has decided to take a different approach to what she has been doing in the past. While most food trucks are looking for a home and a permanent place to tell people where to head to, Hunt is doing the opposite and is taking her business on the road without a permanent home this summer. She will be focusing on festivals, weddings, large-scale parties and private dinners at homes in the County. Being one of the longest running of the “new generation” of food trucks, her hard work and ridiculous hours are starting to pay off and, like all great businesses models, the people are starting to come to her. Her savvy nature on social media and her ability to roll with the times has made Picnic the top result when you search catering in the County on the Internet. Recently she has created another revenue stream for herself by getting into the commercial baking business and establishing relationships with The General in Wellington and The Brake Room in Belleville, both of which carry her healthy-focused energy squares and treats.

It’s about the keeping the Picnic brand on everyone’s mind year-round and sticking to your guns with what you are going to offer the public.

“Everyone told me that to be a successful food truck, all you had to was sell fries. Well, I’m a pescetarian and there are many out there like me that want a menu isn’t that 100 per cent fried food. People who come to Picnic come because there are choices for everyone on my menu. I have had a fried chicken sandwich on the menu that was very popular, but I also have plenty of vegan and gluten-free options. It’s about diversity,” says Hunt.

Hunt is particularly looking forward to having the Picnic truck at the two events that bookend her season, which are the County Pop festival in April, and the Sandbanks Music Festival in September. Between those festivals she has been successful with her new vision, booking a number of private events. You can still catch her every second Tuesday at the Midtown Brewing Company for their takeover Tuesday series.

Chantal Jeffrey of Tabersnack Food Truck in Carrying Place is going about it the more traditional way. Now in her fourth season, Jeffries has her truck permanently set down along the Loyalist Parkway and is the first point of contact for hungry travellers entering and exiting the County at its western edge. Her food is based on her history, which is as flavourful as her food. Jeffrey was born and raised in Quebec City, but also spent time in the Caribbean on Grand Cayman Island. Her menu is infused with both those influences, with the perfect example being a jerk chicken poutine, one of her more popular dishes. You can also find great burgers and a traditional open-faced hot chicken sandwich. Tabersnack can also make everything on the menu gluten-free and has options for vegan diners as well with a vegan poutine. Her personality and her takes on French and Caribbean fare have garnered her plenty of fans and a throng of regulars who come to see her smiling face. Tabersnack has started its season a month earlier than in previous years and is open now.

Lance Calvert and his partner Ashley Inglis are the owners of El Guapo and most recently have branched out with another arm called Bottle Rocket. They have established the second title to diversify their offerings, so where you are and what the client wants will really determine the style of food. El Guapo offers Mexican style eats, whereas Bottle Rocket is focused on Southern themed food. For the past few years they have had permanent homes at Traynor Estates Winery and Parson’s Brewing Company. This year their Bottle Rocket brand will find a permanent home at Keint-He Winery but they will still have their monthly spot on the first Tuesday of every month at The Midtown’s takeover series. Calvert and Inglis had an incredibly busy season last year and hope to do even better this time around. It already looks good for them, with more events on the books this year than in 2017.

Chantal Jeffrey standing outside Tabersnack Food Truck which opened this past weekend.

Big Mike’s food truck is another husband and wife combo, and they have deep roots in the County. Mike Bell has been cooking at various establishments around the County since he was fifteen. His wife, Trish, is also born and raised in the County, and has extensive knowledge in the hospitality industry. Together they are a force to be reckoned with, and the food is described as Texas Style BBQ.

“I fell in love with the simplicity of Texas-style. I use maple and everything is wood-fired. I use salt and pepper for seasoning and let meat speak for itself. It’s simplicity at its finest,” says Mike.

Big Mike’s also offers corn bread and fire-baked beans, along with brisket, side ribs and pulled pork. You can find Big Mike’s BBQ at Barley Days on a regular basis this summer, but they are also getting a lot of bookings on the catering side. They have had twice as many requests for weddings this year and will be at the Hayloft this summer for their food truck series that will coincide with their live music every weekend.

Idle Wild is the new kid on the block this season, but has already made some waves with its ethnicthemed menu. Owners Paul and Mel Tobias describe their menu as “food that we miss from the city.” Whether it’s Asian, Filipino, or classic Canadian dishes, Idle Wild does it all and makes everything from scratch. Idle Wild just started their pre-theatre series at The Vic Café in Picton and is also involved in 555 Brewing Company’s Takeover series as well as a run of pop-ups at The Brake Room in Belleville. Paul and his wife Mel have just ordered their food truck and once it arrives they will make their new home at Sandbanks Winery for the season.

These companies all have a common thread, that being social media. Since the food truck lifestyle is somewhat transient, all the companies in the County rely on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to let their fans know where they will be and when. To keep updated on any of these companies, just follow them on one of their social media platforms and they will take care of the rest. Keep looking for more takeovers and pop-ups this season as restaurants are starting to realize that friendly competition and a change of pace once in a while is good for everyone.