Meb's big energy food truck vibes
When life gives you lemons, pivot. Chef Meadhbh Halton set about launching her own food truck business when the pandemic hit. Manoeuvring the truck is just one of the many things she's learned since.
Originally from Co. Clare, Meadhbh Halton (pictured above) trained as a chef in Cathal Brugha Street (now part of TU Dublin) and has worked in many different kitchens; including The Acorn in Vancouver Canada, widely recognized as one of the top vegetarian restaurants in the world.
After she finished college, Meadhbh moved to Cork in 2018, to work in the city’s own vegetarian mecca Paradiso on Lancaster Quay. After just one year there, she was promoted to Head Chef and felt she had at last found where she wanted to be.
But life in a busy restaurant wasn’t what she had hoped for and in 2020, when everything suddenly ground to a halt, Meadhbh had a change of heart.
“I think the pandemic really made a lot of people, including myself, take a break and realise that they could live in a more fulfilling way.”
“I looked at what I was missing in life and not being a Cork native and having to work evenings the entire time while I was living here meant that I was starved of a sense of community.”
“Of course there is a community aspect in working in a restaurant and bonding with your fellow co-workers, but the reality is, work friendships can only fill that gap to a certain degree. I'm sure this is not the experience for all chefs, but it certainly was for me.”
It wasn’t until 2022 however, when Meadhbh finally took the decision to step away from restaurant life and began seriously implementing a plan for what she wanted to do.
“What I was hoping to build for myself, is a life that would allow me to be more integrated into the wider Cork community, while also still being able to do what I love.”
“I settled on the idea of starting a food truck, as I felt it allowed me more freedom than a brick and mortar business. While I mainly stick to a regular schedule of Mahon Point market on Thursday and Douglas Market on Saturday, I'm also able to drive the trailer up to my home town in Clare if I want.”
Although Meadhbh knew she wanted to start her own business, putting this into action wasn’t something she had a clear vision of.
“I hadn't planned on running the food truck at the farmers market but it's where I found myself and I'm delighted to be there. The other stall holders are all very friendly and Rupert Jones, who runs the Mahon Point and Douglas Markets, couldn't have been more helpful, especially while I was figuring things out in the beginning.”
What about the choice to serve an all vegan menu that includes options such as Pho and Bánh Mì; did she feel this was a risk?
“Getting people to take a chance on something unfamiliar to them can be a challenge, but once they do, they come back time and time again.”
“And I've been vegan in the past as well and I just love cooking vegan food. I love the challenge it presents and I love the opportunity to use delicious vegetables and herbs and spices. I know you can use all of these with straight cooking, but because you get to lean a bit further into them in vegan cooking, it's very exciting and full of flavour!”
But it wasn’t just her love of vegetables that informed this choice.
“I don't like the idea of animals suffering and being killed so we can eat, even if it is a part of our culture, it really isn’t necessary. Anyone who has worked in the food industry or kitchens, knows the scale of animal products and the amount of meat used is scary; and creating a business that requires that is a choice, and it's not one that I would have been comfortable with.”
Now that she’s more at ease with running the food truck on a day to day basis, Meadhbh has branched out into organizing cooking classes in Ballinlough and has more creative ideas in the pipeline; but she hasn’t forgotten all the hard work it took to get to this point.
“When I was starting up the business, I felt a bit like a minesweeper, and learning how to manoeuvre a trailer was the most difficult thing! Then, finding somewhere to park the trailer and sell from, figuring out how much of everything to make, what sells and what doesn't. It was all a steep learning curve.”
Having grown her business to this point though, Meadhbh finds it hard to envisage a return to a restaurant anytime soon.
“Not working evenings is the biggest joy. Sitting in the sun in the evening during the summer and having a drink is such a luxury after working evenings for so long.”
“Lighting cinnamon scented candles and chilling out for the evening is also fabulous.”
More information on Meb’s Big Veg Energy Food truck here.
Meb really created a beautiful life for herself after working extremely hard