New faces on the Street Food Trail in Inverness

Foodie fans are set for fresh culinary delights to tantalise their taste buds after the Inverness street food scene added two new faces.

The Highland Food and Drink Trail, which has proven a success in Inverness since its introduction two years ago, will welcome two new street food businesses this weekend.

Making their first appearances on the Inverness riverside will be Nairn’s Hillhouse Café, who will be offering their successful cafe menu, but with a street food twist, and Red Duke - the brainchild of local chefs Tomme Davidson and Steve Brown - with their “most amazing flatbread offerings filled with local ingredients”.

Joining them this weekend will be trail regular Oregano, with her new menu, “made with love”.

“As well as bringing an amazing food offering to the riverside in Inverness, the trail has been hugely successful in helping new food and drink businesses to grown, develop and move on into permanent premises,” said a spokesperson for the trail.

The trail was launched as a result of the Covid lockdowns, when a city centre street food offering was seen as a low risk way that those who had started small food businesses at home could develop from small beginnings to consider fixed, city centre premises. City centre footfall was seen as essential to build brand recognition, try out menus and make money.

And it has proving very successful for a number of new starts. Highland Food and Drink Trail members who have moved from a purely street food offering to fixed premises (all at the Victorian Market in Inverness) include The Redshank, Ollies Pops, Highland Hogroast and Blazin Pizza.

Janie Ross, from Redshank, said: “All in all if it wasn't for the opportunities created by the Highland Food and Drink Trail I would say Redshank may not be where it is today. Being a part of the trail meant we got to do a pop-up in the Highland Food and Drink Trail kitchen unit in the Victorian Market.

“After seeing the potential for the market we ended up taking our own unit and expanding our business to even further heights. -

The Highland Food and Drink Trail has worked with Highland Council to create a successful business development programme based on the street food trail by the city’s cathedral. This has involved assistance with dedicated power points, making grant aid available to new businesses via Business Gateway, and making an unused unit in the Victorian Market available for businesses to try out.

Douglad Hardie, from the Highland Food and Drink Trail, added: “It’s always been such a huge step for someone with a new Food and Drink idea to establish themselves as a business. The trail succeeds as being both an amazing attraction for locals and visitors alike, but also as part of a process of growth, mentoring and advice for small businesses.”

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