Elliot McClymont and his wife Sammy in their food truck Roaming Flamingo. Photo / Supplied
Elliot McClymont and his wife Sammy in their food truck Roaming Flamingo. Photo / Supplied
Last year’s MasterChef New Zealand finalist Elliot McClymont has driven into the hospitality world with a food truck called Roaming Flamingo.
McClymont, 28, and wife Sammy, 27, recently launched the truck, which he says focuses on non-traditional, seasonal tacos — highlighting flavours from all around the world and using the best of Kiwi produce. The pair met at a high-school cooking competition and celebrated their third wedding anniversary this week getting inspiration from Melbourne.
The couple previously co-managed the now-closed The Tasting Shed in Kumeu and Elliot sold his share in successful gin brand Blush last December.
McClymont tells Spy that Roaming Flamingo is their first step in creating a larger business — with the goal to have three trucks and an online-only delivery restaurant within two years. Then, as the economy starts to thrive, to launch a high-end restaurant.
“What I love about the food truck is you can get real-time feedback and develop flavours and concepts further at an extremely high speed.
“I also feel this is the perfect time to launch into the food truck catering scene, the truck enables us to deliver fantastic value to Kiwis — something I feel is going to become rather important with the economic jitters apparent.”
The very driven couple bought the truck and have customised it themselves — creating all its branding by hand.
“It has been a monumental couple of weeks,” McClymont says.
“We wanted something unique that would really stand out.”
Fans of the culinary skills McClymont showed off on MasterChef will be lining up to taste his and Sammy’s take on the food truck taco.
They have collaborated with a local supplier who makes their seven-inch taco shells using corn and tapioca, which McClymont says are gluten-free and have all the flavour of a traditional corn taco with an amazingly soft texture.
Elliot McClymont and his wife Sammy. Photo / Supplied
“Our prawn taco highlights Sri Lankan spices, not dissimilar to the prawn curry I cooked in the MasterChef grand final,” McClymont says.
The menu also includes a cauliflower taco, a breakfast taco and a slow-cooked (18-hour) pork shoulder taco matched with a vibrant pineapple salsa and smoked yoghurt.
“The taco concept allows us to adapt to suit weddings and events,” McClymont says. “They can be very much dressed up or dressed down. I see weddings and corporate events as a core part of our business moving forward. It also allows the menu to be fun and surprising; think ceviche, spiced mac and cheese, fried chicken, and cured salmon. These are all ideas that can be wrapped up in seven inches of deliciousness. Some would say wrapping your lips around 7 inches from Roaming Flamingo will never disappoint.”
You’ll find the couple behind the service window every weekend, at markets, and food-truck collective events. Locations are updated on Instagram @flamingochefnz.
And don’t think McClymont’s TV days are over. He would love to have gone on My Kitchen Rules NZ with Sammy. This year the show filming dates didn’t work out as the couple were away, but they are going to apply next year.
And — content creators listen up — McClymont would like to create a show with the food truck, highlighting events and produce from around the country.
