Food Truck Find - Kraken Crumpets

. August 12, 2015
Photography by India Essuah.
Food Truck Find - Kraken Crumpets

Sweet in every sense of the word, Kraken Crumpets are gaining a following as they make trails across Auckland.

Place: One sunny day in Grafton, I watched someone step off a bus, take a step and order a thick, golden crumpet to take on their (now very merry) way. Kraken Crumpets is humble van covered in cartoons selling piles of freshly made crumpets and making this ideal breakfast situation a reality for any Aucklander lucky enough to step off a bus on Park Road. For the rest of the city, the best bet is to catch them at the many markets they visit each weekend.

People: Highschool sweethearts Hamish & Amy are from Whakatane and have travelled the world together before making Auckland their new home. Foodies through and through, one weekend they had a go at making crumpets, which happenned to turn out beautifully. After four months spent trying to recreate the crumpet of their dreams and six months spent building the perfect van, they're now set up to deliver their luscious treats across the city.

On the menu: Things are kept simple: there's savoury and sweet crumpets and (great) L'affare coffee. If you're not afraid of a little sugar first thing in the morning you can let your crumpet simply soak up some honey or golden syrup and let it take you right back to your childhood. The banana and salted caramel option is incredibly decadent while Nutella and banana offers something a little more simple for chocolate lovers. Their savoury options make for a beautiful breakfast or brunch on the run - I went for the salmon and cream cheese which (as you can see) was piled high with tasty toppings. I'm definitely keen to try their beetroot and feta option and apparently bacon and eggs is a weekend-crowd favourite.

Decor: Bright, smile-inducing handpainted illustrations adorn the inside of the van, while a crisp black and white sign looks handmade too. Their loyalty cards run with the same design and their business card is the coolest I've eer encountered. They built their van from scratch and you can tell this approach spills over into every part of their set-up; no shortcuts have been taken and everything's made with a lot of effort and a little love. Aww.

Go tomorrow: If you can find them... If they're not popping up in your part of town it's worth making the trip to meet them at a market on the weekend. As we head into warmer weather (fingers crossed) this wee van is a great option if you're after something other than eggs benedict on a Sunday or are looking for an easy family favourite. They're sometimes open on Grafton's Park Road (generally their weekday haunt) until 7pm if you feel like an after-work treat.

Address: Park Road by Grafton Train Station (usually during the week). Markets they frequent each weekend include Mt Albert, Kingsland's Crafternoon Tea, Takapuna and Ellerslie. Check out their Facebook to find their weekly schedule as this often changes to make sure the whole city can catch a bite.

Open: Again, this changes weekly so keep an eye on their social media channels. Or give them a call, they'll be more than happy to say hi and feild a question or two! For more information visit krakencrumpets.com.