Right at home

By Rebecca Fox

Photo by Linda Robertson.

Beer battered cod in a bun. Photo by Gregor Richardson.

One of Ben Davidson's special pork shoulder sandwiches.

Ben Davidson works from his food truck, Hungry Tui, at the Museum Reserve. Photo by Linda Robertson

Chef Ben Davidson and his partner, Emerson Morgan, have joined a growing number of people coming back to Dunedin to settle down. He tells Rebecca Fox about his journey to food-truck proprietor on the streets of his home town.

Having cooked on private yachts for the world's wealthy for more than 10 years, nothing much surprises Ben Davidson, even a Russian request for a pig's head.

It was his time based in the United States while working on yachts that his idea to set up a food-truck business in New Zealand began to percolate.

''Food trucks are a huge business over there and when you travel there is always street food, but New Zealand doesn't seem to have it, for some reason.''

The idea of food trucks in New Zealand seemed to be linked to fast food or fair food, he said.

So when it came time for him and partner Emerson Morgan to ''settle down'', they came back to Wellington.

However, Mr Davidson was not quite ready to give up cheffing on yachts so he decided to fly in and out when required by his clients.

''I'd fly in three or four days early to set things up and then stay a few days afterwards to ensure the fridge and freezer were full for the crew.''

But it got to the point he barely had any time in New Zealand before he needed to depart again, as his clients were taking their yacht further afield to Costa Rica, Panama and the Galapagos.

''They were taking the boat to Britain and that's just too far to keep travelling.

''There is only so long you can sleep in bunks.''

So he handed in his resignation, saying goodbye to more than 10 years cooking in yacht kitchens big and small.

The largest yacht he worked on was 360ft (110m) long and had 39 crew.

''There is some extravagance. But we were really lucky to work with some lovely families but also some crazy ones as well: the sort of people where money is no object.''

The pair had also taken a couple of years' break from being on a boat by cooking for a family in Australia.

''It was a better lifestyle. We had our own house on the property. So we had some privacy, which you have very little of on a yacht.''

Despite the constraints of living and working on private yachts, he enjoyed the experience.

''We travelled all through the Pacific, right around the United States from Nova Scotia, Europe, the Caribbean. We've been pretty lucky.''

They initially chose to set up business in Wellington but circumstances changed and they decided to come home to Dunedin.

''It was a bit of a gamble coming back here. The weather isn't ideal but standing on Petone Beach in a southerly isn't pleasant either.''

Mr Davidson grew up in the city and got his first job washing dishes at former Octagon restaurant Ruby in the Dust.

He did his apprenticeship there as well, so he still had contacts in the city.

The Hungry Tui was born partly out of Mr Davidson's urge to do something that allowed him to interact with his customers.

''We had a completely different idea of what we thought the business would be, partly because we decided to muck around and try all sorts of different things.''

The basic concept was to offer ''cafe-quality food but out of a trailer''.

''Food made with a bit of love that you can get quick.''

So, unlike most of his fellow mobile traders, the Hungry Tui's ''point of difference'' was not being based on a particular cuisine or food style, he said.

''We're purely about giving people what they want. We put something on the menu and judge its popularity by how it sells.''

So far, the most popular item on the menu was a ''cross between a sandwich and a burger'' filled with either slow-roasted pork or beef and ''some sort of slaw'', he said.

Years cooking in yacht kitchens gave him advantages when it came to organising the food-truck kitchen.

''I knew what would fit in the space, what we needed to get the volume of food out.''

He did admit the lack of bench space drove him ''bananas'' sometimes but he had access to a commercial kitchen when needed.

''We try not to do anything too clever, just good fresh food.''

The couple had always thought the business would be named after a bird, as it was ''relatable'' to New Zealanders.

''Why we picked the tui I don't know. I originally had Fat Tui in my mind but I googled it and it was a place in Nelson at the start of the Abel Tasman National Park. We walked that a few years ago so the name must have stuck.''

The name also did not direct their menu, giving them the flexibility to cook what he wanted.

After about 10 months on the streets of Dunedin, Mr Davidson is loving every day of it.

''I love being able to talk to the customers. On the boat you speak to the owners, but that's very much about their decisions and you go away and do it. In a cafe you're out back flogging all night long.''

There have been some learning curves along the way when he was ''thinking like a chef'' rather than someone wanting lunch, he said.

''I tried arancini balls thinking they'd sell like crazy, but I think people were too afraid to order them as they didn't know what they were.''

As well as regular spots around the city, they take the food truck on the road during summer, attending festivals and other events.

''You have an always changing scenery and customer base.''

The local mobile food traders group had also been very supportive and helpful, he said.

Pork Shoulder

Variations of these recipes are the most popular sellers in the Hungry Tui food truck when turned into amazing ''sandwiches''.

Ingredients

pork shoulder with a good layer of fat

Seasoning rub

2 tsp coriander seed
2 tsp cumin seed
1½ tsp yellow mustard seed
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cayenne

Barbecue sauce