Loz’s food truck is munch of the day for football fans
SUPPORTERS HOME AND AWAY CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THE GOURMET BURGERS AND LOADED FRIES
FOOTBALL fans might have consumed some dubious burgers – dried up, cheap looking and too small to fill the bun.
But that’s not the case for anyone buying their footy scran from Loaded Flavez, which rocks up at Notts County and Nottingham Forest matches.
The food truck, which can be found by the Cattle Market entrance in Meadow Lane, has gained quite a following for its “gourmet” takeaway food from a menu of Loaded Frize, Burgerz and Hot Dogz.
It gets repeat custom from home fans and leaves away supporters with food envy when they visit Nottingham.
Owner Loz Clough said she has had compliments from Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United fans. She said: “Every away supporter that comes here says why don’t we have this at our home games?”
Loaded Flavez, which boasts a five-star hygiene rating, celebrated its first anniversary recently. Loz previously experimented with vegan food, West Indian flavours, tacos and mushy peas, historically Nottingham’s favourite delicacy.
But she found football fans to be very traditional in their tastes. She has struck a winning formula with fries loaded with Jack Daniel’s pulled pork or salt
‘n’ pepper chicken.
The rump steak smash burgers in a brioche bun and cheeseburgers with American Monterey Jack cheese are popular too.
“Everyone’s always said I’ve been a good cook so I just wanted to bring something decent to football. It struck me going to football over the years, the fare has not changed. And I thought people can’t be happy with this - something different needs to happen.”
In a big career change, Loz, a former police officer and private investigator in London, returned to her home city of Nottingham and bought a food truck. “I took it home and had friends around testing recipes, because we can only sell what we can cook on the truck.
“We’re a bit biased but we truly believe we’ve got this footy scran right. Football supporters are very traditional - they like what they like.”
Loaded Flavez is open before the games and for an hour after a match finishes.
“People are coming to the football for a lunchtime kick-off and have already eaten but they’re coming after to take the food home so they don’t have to cook at night.
“I’m ordering over 100 burgers a week from a butcher and he takes top rump steak and minces it four times. We cook fresh on the van. That’s another reason we have queues. I don’t like the queues but I won’t cook in advance. No one wants a burger that’s been sitting there for an hour do they? I think that’s why we’re doing well.”
Loz said no one ever leaves Loaded Flavez hungry and the prices are reasonable, between £4 for a hot dog and £7 for loaded fries. A meal deal with a burger, fries, hash brown, onion rings and a drink is £12.50 and a kids’ meal of burger, fries and a drink is £6.25.
Notts County fan Brian Mawby, from Bottesford, said: “We tried Loaded Flavez not long after it had opened and we just loved it. It’s fantastic, really good food. My favourite is the salt and pepper chicken - I absolutely love it - but I have also tried a burger which is really nice. It’s quality meat and a really good price.”
Andy Easom, of Long Eaton, had loaded fries with pulled pork and his fiancée Dawn had a burger.
He said: “It was very tasty indeed. Loz and I are dyed in the wool Notts fans who talk off the same page. I can only see the business growing and growing.
“What would be brilliant for her would be for the business to be incorporated as part of the proposed Fan Zone building which the club hope to purchase and get up and running similar to the one a lot of us Pies visited at Wembley before and after the play-off final success. Word is spreading how good it is.”
When not attending football matches, the food truck visits events and takes private bookings. It did a roaring trade at last year’s Keyworth Show and Teversal Football Club in Sutton-in-ashfield.
Every away supporter that comes here says why don’t we have this at our home games?
Loz Clough