CALTON BOYS COOK UP A STORM EXCLUSIVE

We meet the team behind the food truck everyone in Glasgow is talking about

IT’S true what they say: you really can find anything in the Barras. Whether that’s bedroom furniture, taxidermy animals, vinyl records or, as of last weekend, the Salt and Sea truck who are serving up a seriously fresh take on seafood classics.

The truck can be found parked almost directly under the iconic red and golden Barras arch, a location which for head chef and part-owner Kevin O’Hagan, feels like a homecoming.

He said: “Me and one of my business partners, Thomas Lunday, are Calton boys born and bred.

“We grew up next to the Barras and spent a lot of our childhood down there. Getting pirate videos and games would be the highlight of our weekend.

“When we decided to start the business we were hearing a lot about how the Barras were going to be the next to be regenerated area like it was for Duke street or Finnieston and we thought if that’s going to happen wouldn’t it be good for a couple of local boys from the Barras to do it?”

A food truck wasn’t always the plan for Kevin and his team, but when a friend offered to sell them his mobile unit it provided the unique opportunity for Salt and Sea to trade right from the heart of the Barras.

Kevin said: “We knew that a truck be a smaller investment for us and something a bit more feasible manage. The owner of the car park next to the Barras sign very generously said we could use it any time we wanted.”

When it came to developing their menu, Seafood was a natural choice for Kevin who has years of experience working at some of the best restaurants in the city.

He said: “I’ve been a chef since I was 17.

“My first job was in the City Merchant restaurant, then I was in the Rogano, The Two Fat Ladies at the Buttery and then the Crabshakk – so I’ve got a lot of experience working with seafood.

“We had been doing a lot of thinking about how we could do something different with the truck so I started following a lot of food accounts on Instagram and saw people in Miami and LA who were doing really Seafood based ones, but there wasn’t really anyone doing anything like that over here.”

And so the concept for Sea and Salt was born.

Much to the delight of those who were lucky enough to experience their official launch last weekend and enjoyed treats like Monkfish Tacos, Scallop and Black pudding chowder or for the seafood skeptics among them, ‘not your average’ mince and tatties.

What exactly makes the mince and tatties ‘not your average’, you ask?

Kevin, pictured, said: “My mince recipe is something I’m very proud of, I’ve definitely honed it over the years.

“Me and my girlfriend were making it at home one day just throwing some stuff together and both said this is the ‘wow this is best mince and potatoes ever.’

“We refined it slightly the end result was mashed potato and cheese croquettes, mince and then pickled red cabbage, hot sauce and crispy onions. It’s been very popular.”

We can see why.

Kevin is no stranger to food trucks, having spent time training chefs at the Street and Arrow in Mansfield park, social enterprise which aimed to help people with criminal convictions re-enter the world of employment. However, operating from the tiny Salt and Sea truck is dishing up a whole new set of challenges. He said “Street and Arrow was a big airstream you know, it was as equally equipped as any kitchen I had worked in before.

“This ones really different – it’s such a wee unit. “I had a menu in my head but then having to put that into action on that truck for our launch weekend I can see what worked and what didn’t work. “We put fresh oysters on the menu but because we were so busy we were doing loads of them.

“You have 40 people standing looking at you waiting for food when you’re trying to open an oyster and the knifes stuck you’re like ‘oh no’. “So yeah, I think oysters might be coming off the menu.”

If you’re keen to try the Salt and Sea food truck for yourself (oysters or not) then make your way to the Barras. Just be prepared to get behind us in the queue…

My mince recipe is something I’m very proud of... I have honed it over the years