Unlike most street food vendors who tend to dread the winter months, one Dundee mobile catering van is relishing in their snowy views by the Waterfront.
As burger shack, The Craft Diner, in Highland Perthshire announced it has been forced to close numerous times because of the recent weather, it’s a different story for Heather Street Food.
Inside a converted horsebox stationed outside the V&A, Chris Heather and his team prepare coffees, doughnuts and bagels for hungry Dundonians.
And while the van is only open on weekends, Chris got a bit of a shock on Friday when preparing to open for customers.
“Every pipe and everything was frozen stiff, I turned my tap on and a big icicle came out,” he said.
“Everything still works, but it took three hours to thaw the water tank and pipes.
“It definitely has its challenges, but at the same time it’s quite fun and not complicated.”
‘Believe it or not – it’s pretty toasty’
Now in its third winter at the V&A, Chris thinks this week has been the snowiest so far for the street food van.
But despite the cold, he enjoys working out in the freezing conditions.
“It’s really peaceful out there in winter,” he added.
“You get some beautiful days, because the sun sets right over the bridge where the view from our hatch points.
“Right before closing you get these amazing pink, orange and purple skies.”
Beautiful sunsets are unfortunately not enough to keep anyone warm, but Chris reveals his secret to keeping the horsebox toasty.
The doughnut fryer keeps a temperature of 190 degrees and there’s a separate heater to keep the Nutella from freezing.
He said: “Believe it or not, it’s pretty toasty in there.”
“People always ask if we’re freezing, but you’re quite comfortable.”
Heather Street Food in the snow
Despite the difference in temperature, operating the street food van in winter works the same way as in the summer.
Heather Street Food plans to be open every weekend over the season, offering the same food as always.
Chris added: “People really cherish hot doughnuts or a hot coffee on a cold day.
“You get those hardy people that turn up with snow on their hats and they’ve made it a mission to come down and get a hot spiced apple juice.
“There’s this bond between you and the customer because you’re both exposed to the elements and you offer them something warm.
“I don’t mind working in winter, you can’t change the weather, so you’ve just got to open and see what happens.”
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