Gourmet chippy doesn't need fish to taste success

Tuesday, 29 October 2019

Paula Revell, owner of The Chippy food truck, in Cathedral Square in Christchurch.

Gluten-free fries, hunks of halloumi and vegan plates aren't what you'd expect from a chippy, but they're proving just as popular as the classic fish and chips at a Christchurch food truck.

The Chippy, founded by Paula Revell, said despite running a primarily fish-focused operation, she noticed a market gap for quality vegan and vegetarian trailer food and wanted to 'cater to all' from her British-themed chip shop.

Paula Revell and The Chippy food truck will be serving customers at the inaugural Hanmer Springs Fete on Friday.

As a meat-eater, she wanted to make sure to 'give people what they actually want', and consulted with vegans on the What Kiwi Vegans Eat Facebook page for ideas.

Next to fish and chips, fish burgers, mushy peas and curry sauce on the menu, she introduced gluten-free fries, prepared in a separate vat to anything with batter, corn and black bean vegan loaded fries and battered slices of halloumi served to imitate the fish.

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'[The halloumi] looks pretty much the same but obviously, it's vegetarian,' she said.

Mixing up the meal offerings had been 'incredibly popular', with Kiwi appetites for vegan diets on the rise, she said. Plant-based options were often selling out faster than fish dishes, especially at events with a younger or more adventurous crowd.

'Although, any time there's beer being served, the fish is always number one.'

Revell's permanent truck in Cathedral Square opened in October with a separate mobile food truck available to hire for events. She also ran school fundraisers, serving the chips in organic and compostable cones.

The Chippy will be one of over 140 stall holders at the inaugural Hanmer Springs Fete, at the historic Queen Mary Hospital grounds on Friday.

Offering a range of mostly handmade products, including bespoke furniture, jewellery, clothing and locally grown produce, artists and creators, sellers would primarily offer products that were 'a little bit different, nothing like the stuff you can just pick up in the store,' organiser Catherine Batterson said.

Batterson, who held stalls at several fetes around the country for around five years, said she and fellow business owner Abby France saw a gap in the market for an event in Hanmer Springs, finally committing to launching the fete this year.

'We just thought, why haven't we got one here? It's such a beautiful spot so we decided to give it a go and hoped that other people would think our crazy idea was a good one.'

Stall holder placers quickly sold out, with over 40 small businesses on a waiting list, she said. Given it was nearing closer to Christmas, it was a chance to get some early gifts or 'treat yourself to something special', she said.' Admission is $15 with tickets available at the gate.