New Healthy Cravings burger bus open at Randwick
A burger bus has returned to the corner of Airport Road and County Road 21 in Mulmur, filling a void for anyone missing Foxy’s.
Healthy Cravings Burger Bus is a fresh take on the roadside food truck. It is a partnership between holistic nutritionist and chef Brenda Beattie and property owner Albert Luce.
Until last year, Beattie operated the Healthy Cravings café in Shelburne but her business was hit hard by the pandemic. She said at the beginning of lockdown 80 per cent of her clientele was stuck in the city and once things opened up again, it was a very slow start. She knew she had to make a change and made the difficult decision to close the restaurant.
During the pandemic, Beattie and Luce took long drives in the country and discovered the Randwick schoolhouse was for sale. It was the former location of Foxy’s Burger Bus, a yellow school bus which had served roadside food, but had been gone for several years.
Luce purchased the property and once he moved in July, he kept hearing about how popular Foxy’s was and how much it was missed by locals and passersby.
That inspired Luce and Beattie to start looking for an old bus that could be transformed into a food truck and landed on a 1954 GMC school bus which was completely refurbished and fitted with a custom kitchen. For the finishing touch, Beattie had it painted in Tiffany blue.
As for the menu, Beattie’s goal is to keep the back-to-basics burger bus all- natural and as local as possible.
Her philosophy is to “heal thy cravings through food” believing that if people deprive themselves of a particular food they will crave it all the more. So instead of depriving themselves of certain foods, her mission is to make it available at the highest quality.
She makes everything from scratch, slow roasting pulled pork over night after it has been rubbed with cinnamon and cumin, then using the juice to make a barbecue sauce. The gravy is made from bones simmered for hours to get out all the goodness that highly digestible.
“It’s all good for the body,” said
Beattie, but it all takes time. “It’s how our grandparents ate before processed food became popular.”
In addition to burgers, there are vegetarian and vegan options including a falafel burger, Buddha Bowl and salads. The fries and potato salad are made from Melancthon potatoes, the meat is from Stayner, and the bread is baked in Collingwood. She also makes all her own sauces, and mayonnaise from local eggs. Beattie said she tries to source everything from local family- operated businesses whenever possible, and all of the menu items are $11 or less.
The Healthy Cravings Burger Bus held its grand opening this past weekend and Beattie said the reception has been overwhelmingly positive.
“We have been received with open arms,” said Beattie.
Luce describes people sitting at picnic tables, standing at raised barrel tables, stretched out on picnic blankets and sitting around the bonfire, all enjoying their meals, whether they have come from close by or are making a pit stop during a long drive.
Healthy Cravings Burger Bus is located at 708235 County Road 21 and is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Find it on Instagram and Facebook and watch for updated summer hours.
