Chippy’s vegan tucker proving to be a crowd-pleaser
Gluten-free fries and hunks of halloumi 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 founder Paula Revell said despite running a primarily fish-focused operation, she noticed a market gap for vegan and vegetarian trailer food and wanted to fill it from her British-themed chip shop.
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 added gluten-free fries, prepared in a separate vat, corn and black bean vegan loaded fries and battered slices of halloumi served to imitate the fish.
Mixing up the offerings had been 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 this month 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 more than 140 stall holders at the inaugural Hanmer Springs Fete, at the historic Queen Mary Hospital grounds on Friday.
Offering mostly handmade products, including furniture, jewellery, clothing and locally grown produce, creators and sellers would primarily offer products that were ‘‘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.’’
Stalls quickly sold out, with over 40 small businesses on a waiting list, she said. Given it was nearing Christmas, it was a chance to get some early gifts, she said. Admission is $15, with tickets available at the gate.