Vagabond Jack's owner Kerry Mackay says the benefits of cheffing from a caravan outweigh its limitations. Photo Paul Taylor
Vagabond Jack's owner Kerry Mackay says the benefits of cheffing from a caravan outweigh its limitations. Photo Paul Taylor
Opinion
Culinary caravan Vagabond Jack's has partnered with Brave Brewery in a new move that owner Kerry Mackay says is ironically about creative space. The chef chats to Mark Story.
What was the spark for this venture? Yeah I wanted to be in control, with low risk. It was a culmination ofa search for some sort of "lifestyle" as a chef. As a chef it's hard to get hours that approach normal. You are usually stuck in the bowels of some building, with the aural accompaniment of an extractor fan. Human interaction mostly limited to those you work with, who else has the same work/ leisure schedule? And generally there are culinary boundaries.
Is there a culinary genre you're pitching? There is no real culinary theme. The original concept for Vagabond Jack's was sandwiches from around the world. That evolved into great dishes from around the world, and now at Brave it seems to have come back to the sandwich theme, as predominately at the moment the dishes are there to be picked and eaten by hand. But hey there is a good chance that will change.
It looks a nice fit with the brewery. When you first started cooking, was there such a thing as matching food with beer? I started cooking a long time ago, and no not really. Back then everyone in New Zealand was only just getting used to the idea that you could match wine and food. And let's face it, back then, the flavour profiles of our beers did not differ greatly. However, toward the end of my time in Wellington I had some success in the Monteiths Wild food challenge, getting the best food and beer matching one year. There've been a number of people who've commented that the menu we're offering is perfect to have with drinking beer.
'Vagabond' would sum up many journeymen chefs - does it characterise you? Vagabond by business Vagabond by nature. And it's a recurring theme. As a chef employment is transferable, businesses generally change quite quickly and long term employment is not common. In my first few years of cooking I tried to stay in one place no longer than six months. On the plus side it makes for an easily transferable skill set for travel, also the first caravan my wife and I bought was a Light Weight Vagabond.
What are the upsides and downsides of cheffing from a van? The Good? The ever changing. The view from the kitchen window is always different, it's never the same for long. Also we can change menus on a whim, much to the chagrin of the employees. Plus there's the ability to say no. The Bad? The clean-up in cramped surroundings can be a drain.
