To say that Suzy Simpson and Paul Thomson didn't expect to be selling streetfood from Barmouth beach hut with only a three induction hob after meeting in the Outer Hebrides is an understatement. Even more of a surprise to them is they have been shortlisted, purely based on customer nominations, for a BBC Food & Farming Award for their cute Celtic Cabin which serves Mexican wraps, cakes, coffees and anything else Paul puts his mind to creating in their kitchen.
Regular customers and visitors get to sample freshly caught mackeral fritters or pulled pork while drinking in views of the Llyn Peninsula or catching a glimpse of a pod of dolphins out to sea.
It couldn't be more perfect for the outdoorsy couple, who wanted to take seaside snacks a different way from your regular hot dogs and chips, and who came to be plonked on the seafront in Barmouth completely by default after returning from their travels to New Zealand.
Former teacher, Suzy, and a chef-outdoor pursuits-lobster fisherman-thatcher by trade, Paul met 11 years ago when he relocated to Suzy's native Scotland to chef, after breaking his shoulder in France - a lucky break you could say as the pair got together and travelled before landing in Barmouth where Paul's parents had relocated to from Pembrokeshire.
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"We met in the Outer Hebrides, I was teaching there and Paul came to chef out there. And we went travelling after a number of years, came back to this country with no job, no home, no money," Suzy explained. "And his parents had just moved to this area and gratefully allowed us to stay and we got jobs locally. Then we thought 'it's now or never' and we wanted our own business."
Paul explained. "Travelling round New Zealand gave us a bit of the taste for the outdoors, we were in a van so we'd cook a lot outdoors and a lot of the ideas just formulated. But also we ideally wanted to become our own bosses and the next thing you know we've brought a catering trailer. We never thought about being specifically on Barmouth - there are lots of no trading laws up and down - but then the lease for the cabin came up and we put everything we could into it."
A happy accident? Suzy added: "The cabin came up for sale and that's how it was. It wasn't a conscious decision 'Barmouth is where we want to be' but it's so beautiful. The location is stunning, the people are really friendly and where the cabin sits, we're just a bit further out of the town so we've got a peaceful vibe. We just got lucky."
Taking inspiration from both locally available fish and Paul's favourite flavours of Mexican and Middle Eastern food, with a bit of homemade cakes from Suzy and Welsh cakes from Paul's parents to boot, it's a real family affair, other than an extra pair of hands in the summer season, Suzy and Paul do everything themselves and that's what makes it really special for them to be nominated for the BBC Food & Farming Award, which will be decided this autumn.
Suzy continued: "Paul just really wanted to be able to explore the flavours that he loves ad for it to be quick and takeaway-able and wraps are the best kind of way to do that. You can do anything with a wrap, it's very versatile and or the footfall that comes past the cabin you can get some really fresh lovely flavours in it."
"I loved taking elements that people kind of know and adding elements to dishes they may not have tasted before, like tomatillos," Paul said. "Mexican food is something I've enjoyed eating and we have that menu in the summer because it's a bit easier as we get hit hard with people just wanting drinks and ice creams, too, but then in the winter we have a bit more of a play with flavours and types of cuisines with our takeout evenings. Using fresh fish was key for me as well, we try and get local when we can and so the menu just came out of the creativity and what we like and what is approachable to people and add our own twist to it with pickles and homemade sauces and the like."
The Celtic Cabin wraps and treats are definitely approachable to their customers, many of whom they got to know during local lockdowns, meaning more locals had the opportunity to dine at the popular Welsh tourist spot, and their love of Suzy and Paul's fare is proved by their nomination, oh, and possibly the 130-odd orders they serve up during their lunch service at the spot.
Paul said: "It's really gratifying knowing that hard work is kind of worth it and people acknowledge and appreciate that as well. We were quite taken aback by it really. It's just me and Suzy, we run out of a small kitchen, the cabin itself is only 14ft long, we've got three induction hobs that we work off, there's no gas or water plumbed in, so we're just really chuffed that we've dealt with all the adversities, like coming through Covid and being able to carry on."
The BBC Food & Farming Awards will be held in Cardiff on November 9.
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