Beginning as an idea to fill the loss of connection Mandy Baker felt throughout the lockdowns, buying an ice cream truck ended up being one of Baker’s best decisions.
Quite the shift from the pet industry, Baker now spends her time with her daughter producing and selling real fruit ice cream. Initially a joke between the family, after having spotted the truck for sale in Christchurch, Baker and her daughter found themselves traveling south and then journeying back up to Auckland with the truck.
The truck, now recognised as ‘Roaming Berry’, was set up to enable the lucky person to create real fruit ice cream. While Baker had bigger ideas to initially serve a range of menu options including smoothie bowls, she quickly realised that simple really is the most effective.
“It’s important to me that I provide good quality ice cream and a dairy-free option too.”
Baker went on to say she loves the combination of coconut ice cream blended with real fruit coconut ice creams, despite the many challenges that came along with providing this option.
Despite the recent challenges such as the global pandemic and major weather events, Baker is hopeful for the future. Putting her faith in the incredible work people are doing to make positive changes in the street food and food truck community.
“This is an industry that’s really growing and is being nurtured in a way that really supports us, vendors, while also giving New Zealanders a chance to taste some amazing food. It feels incredible to be a part of this journey.”
Moving forward, Baker intends to integrate a few more menu options, especially during the winter months when she has more time to test and trial. Acknowledging the importance of a sustainable process, Baker mentioned the Roaming Berry’s recent increased capability to trade on solar for longer periods of time.
We asked Baker if she had any advice for someone beginning their hospitality journey.
“Definitely talk to food truck vendors. They are a wealth of knowledge and I’ve always found everyone happy to chat and share their journeys.”
