There’s a new food truck in Auckland that’s turning heads, owned by two super talented chefs with a passion to serve fast, delicious burgers from their blue and timber panelled 80s caravan and do good in the process.
Owners Josh Barlow and Brody Jenkins (executive chef at The Sugar Club and head chef at Little Easy, Ponsonby), give ‘work hard, play hard’ a new benchmark. As moonlighters, they produce well executed burger classics made from local, fresh, sustainable ingredients to the outdoor dining public and private events around Auckland.
This is about more than great burgers though. Jo Bro’s cares for the environment and the people within it and shouts out to farmers and growers and those within their own industry, using the caravan as a platform. These Bros want to get people thinking about the positive impact that choosing sustainable local produce has on our world around us.
Jo Bro’s also collaborates with All Good, a not-for-profit group focused on improving the mental health of workers in the hospitality space. “Mental health is a hot topic for our industry right now and we want to do all we can to address the negative points of working in a kitchen and keep making noise until things change,” Brody says.
Back to those burgers: Jo Bro’s had a sell-out at Whangaparaoa recently, smashing its fourth event with 190 seriously good burgers leaving the truck dripping with great juices and good times. The Boys are well pleased.
Brody says, considering the allure of food trucks, “I guess it’s people wanting to do things on their own, and cheaply. Starting a small restaurant could cost $1m plus. All up, we’ve spent $60k. It’s a lot easier moving around and having your customers everywhere rather than starting a restaurant in one place and taking a gamble on whether it’s going to work.”
Their home-built 4.2m long caravan features art work by a friend on the exterior plus a timber panelled effect courtesy of a vinyl-type wrap product. “Our fitout is super basic. The caravan came with a walk in fridge, then it’s literally benches down both sides with a big flat Blue Seal grill placed in the middle so we can open the fridge door.”
Josh and Brody met working in the kitchen at Grove Restaurant in Auckland. Josh had recently returned after seven years in London, working in several Michelin-star restaurants and Brody spent eight years with SkyCity’s signature restaurants and getting Andy’s Burgers & Bar off the ground.
