Busy times for Dutchy’s Burgers
Dutchy’s Burger Joint, winner of the 2016 Electra Business Awards Customer Choice award, has a busy couple of months ahead.
The food truck is currently gracing the Moore Wilson’s food pods in the CBD for the first time and gearing up to join the capital’s convoy of food trucks on the Wellington on a Plate Food Truck Rally next month.
Dutch owner Rutger Richter was born and raised in the Netherlands, where his parents and grandparents ran campgrounds.
‘‘I’ve been cooking since my teens and studied in Amsterdam to be a chef. I love to eat, so I think that probably led to my love of cooking. Before moving [here] I was cooking in the family restaurant on the campground and loving the buzz of the place and the people enjoying the food.
‘‘[My family] spent a lot of time in New Zealand over the Dutch winter when they’d have some time off. I met my partner while on holiday [here] years later. [After] she moved to the Netherlands with me we realised we were about to have a child, [and] we hatched a plan to come back to raise our family.’’
Serving up hand-cut chips in a ‘‘puntzak’’ cone (which literally translates as ‘‘point sack’’) and gourmet burgers, the concept focuses on quality, fresh ingredients.
‘‘We wanted Dutchy’s to support other small local businesses,’’ explains Richter. ‘‘To support ethical producers, take fewer shortcuts and more time and care, use more conscientious packaging and just try to do things what we think is the right way. A good way.’’
The nomadic truck has regular spots across across Kapiti and Horowhenua, and will be serving up a slaw-topped slow smoked pork burger ($15) with bourbon sauce and chips ($6-8) in the food pods until Sunday, July 16.