Twin brothers, Boyd and Cam Steel were born and bred in Muriwai Beach, experiencing all the outdoor wonders that New Zealand has to offer. Starting off their typical OE, the pair went to the UK to play rugby, and ended up spending the best part of ten years in Europe as tour guides for travel and adventure business Contiki. This is where their love for food began.
Stints living and cooking in France, Italy, Greece and Austria had the brothers swept up in European food culture. Having been used to the nomadic lifestyle for so long, a food truck felt the perfect idea.
“We always thought it would be great to bring back some of our experiences to Aotearoa… and that’s how our food truck Double Parked was born.”
In August 2018, the Steel brothers opened their hatch for the first time in their neighbours driveway hoping for even 20 people to show up. The people came in their hundreds.
“I’m not even sure if everyone got fed but we had a great time!”
Double Parked is kiwi street food with European influence. The pair try to mix it up as much as they can, serving German to Italian to South East Asian to Spanish tapas, but always bring it home with their own spin.
“We have Māori heritage, from the Far North, so try to incorporate ingredients and recipes from our childhood! Our dad still won’t be happy until he sees a Tuatua fritter on the menu!”
With an “awesome” food truck scene in Auckland and around New Zealand at the moment, the Steel brothers have found it an exciting time to be involved.
“There are so many events and locations, when you're starting up it’s super easy to find places and markets to park up.”
These days, Double Parked’s biggest avenue is wedding and party catering. The pair enjoy sitting down with couples to design a menu tailored to their vibe. At weddings, the brothers serve their food tapas style - casual and relaxed. Guests are able to sample a wide range of flavours from the food truck menu such as ceviche, tacos, and their world-famous-in-Muriwai kūmara, corn and jalapeno fritters.
While the Covid-19 pandemic closed the Double Parked hatch for a while, the food truck business model made it easy for Boyd and Cam to keep expenses low. When New Zealand reopened from lockdowns, the brothers adapted to customer needs.
“Once takeaways came back, every person in New Zealand wanted a burger. So, we slung burgers for a few weeks! The perks of not being fixed on one style of food is that you can do what people are craving and the seasons allow for!”
Serving to the seasons, the Steel brothers are mindful in what they do and hold sustainability with importance. In 2020, Double Parked was named Auckland’s most sustainable food truck.
Boyd and Cam have also seen their brother and friend step into the food truck market with a coffee and pud truck, DoubleShot. In December, the brothers collaborated with DoubleShot to open the Muriwai Deli. The fixed location serving fresh sourdough, donuts and a range of treats and coffee differs from the Double Parked offerings but the brothers are finding it good fun.
After a big 2021/22 summer of weddings, Boyd and Cam are looking forward to the winter event slow-down. The boys will find time for their own travel fix between food truck pop ups.
