Burger truck aiming to ‘revolutionise takeaways’ wins gold at Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards

A burger truck, which is aiming to “revolutionise the way people enjoy takeaways”, was awarded gold in the ‘One to Watch’ category at the recent Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards. The Flavour Trailer, set up four and a half years ago after the co-founders spent eight years honing their chef skills working in kitchens across Europe, is inspired by a “true love of burgers – with a combination of innovation and indulgence”. Fiancees Mario Shephard and Charley Cummings are behind The Flavour Trailer and are “absolutely stunned and over the moon” to have taken the top spot.

The Flavour Trailer was set up four and a half years ago after the co-founders spent eight years honing their chef skills working in kitchens across Europe.

Mario, 32, said: “We still can’t believe it.

This is a whole team effort, and an immense amount of work has gone into making the best burgers possible. “The phrase ‘hard work’ is often overused. It’s about sacrifice and we have given up so much – but it doesn’t feel like work as we seriously love burgers and are obsessed.”

Mario added that they have got to this level of success by “nurturing and maintaining the business” and when times get hard, they look back at how far they have come and how much their customers enjoy what they do. The pair’s proudest moment of their business venture “changes day to day”, but Mario says “building a team of people that love burger culture” is a highlight.

The team wants people to know “they are not just a burger van, but want to revolutionise how people enjoy takeaways”.

“Our team is everything and they are all so enthused, which is a dream come true,” he said. “I thought I was the only one who loved burgers this much, but we are all like-minded and truly are the dream team.”

The number of team members continues to fluctuate, but there are around 20 employees. The Flavour Trailer currently has two trucks and a shipping container, which they operate from locations across the county, but a third truck is soon to be introduced. It will be situated in new locations across Northamptonshire and beyond, and has been named ‘Truck Norris’ by their ‘flavour fans’ – which the pair call anyone who loves what they do and wants to support.

Talking about how they began the journey, Mario described Charley as not only his fiancee and mother of his children, but “everything to him and a force to be reckoned with”.

Full list of winners at the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards 2021

Since having children, Charley is now in charge of a lot of the big decisions they have to make and holds responsibility in the behind the scenes of the business – but she can very often be found with their three-month-old strapped to her front while visiting the trucks and getting stuck in. The pair want to thank the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards for hosting the recent event and having them along. “It’s a great feeling to be recognised and we can’t thank them enough,” said Mario.

He added the awards offers “a great platform to network”, especially as “chefs rarely get to meet one another”.

The Flavour Trailer also used it as an opportunity to get more people to understand what they are all about.

The team wants people to know “they are not just a burger van, but want to revolutionise how people enjoy takeaways”.