Spice up summer with shawarma as 'authentic' food truck tours Fife

Upon arriving at Fife’s Craigtoun Country Park, I find it hard to believe that a food truck serving authentic shawarma is only a few hundred metres away.

Thanks to the chilly air, and a zealous medieval re-enactment that’s taking place in the field next to me, I seem more likely to stumble across the Holy Grail than well-made Middle Eastern food.

And yet, the latter is what Troff on The Go – a food truck that is now enjoying its third year of operating – is said to offer.

A food truck parked up in Craigtoun Country Park. — Troff on The Go is a compact and efficient food truck. Image: Jacob Smith/DC Thomson

“I chose shawarma as the concept because it was different. No one else was doing it,” Will Blake, the man behind Troff on The Go, says.

“During my days in the Middle East, that’s what we used to eat a lot of.”

Will spent 20 years working in in the Sultanate of Oman, specialising in marketing and sales for various hotels.

Will Blake posing in front of his food truck. — Will Blake has many years of experience in the hospitality industry. Image: Jacob Smith/DC Thomson

Upon returning to Scotland, he worked in catering for five years before becoming involved in a bistro-cafe – The Troff, in Leven – that his partner opened. It was in 2021 that he began thinking about opening a food truck.

Will says: “I wanted to expand and do something more mobile. Street food was becoming really big.

“I bought a horsebox, completely ripped it back to its shell and spent six months doing it up.”

And thus, Troff on The Go was born.

Food truck serving up speedy shawarma at Fife park in under 60 seconds

“We can serve a shawarma in less than a minute,” Will says. “The key is in the prep.

“When you go to these events it’s all about speed.”

Then he duly proves his point, serving up a chicken shawarma before the knights in the field next to me can pour themselves another cup of mead.

A person holding a chicken shawarma. — Both shawarmas were large and full of flavour. Image: Jacob Smith/DC Thomson

But the food isn’t just about efficiency.

“What differentiates us is that it’s not your standard kebab shawarma,” Will says. “Ours is very authentic.”

Admittedly I have never been to Oman and therefore can’t attest to the validity of Will’s statement.

What I can say is that if they don’t have chicken shawarma like this in Oman, they’re missing out.

Jacob Smith holding a shawarma and smiling at Craigtoun Country Park, Fife. — I clearly enjoyed digging into the food at Craigtoun Country Park, Fife. Image: Jacob Smith/DC Thomson

Numerous ingredients are stuffed inside the flatbread, including jalapenos, red cabbage and a mountain of chicken.

Impressively, Will finds a way to make this combination work. Each ingredient complements the others.

Thanks to being marinated overnight, the chicken itself is moist and full of flavour. While soft, the flatbread keeps its structure and never becomes soggy.

At £10, this shawarma offers good value for money.

A close-up image of a woman holding a shawarma — The flatbread held its own and did not become soggy. Image: Jacob Smith/DC Thomson

But those who don’t eat meat will be relieved to learn that they can enjoy the same dish with one difference – falafel takes the place of chicken.

Whether meat or vegetarian, the food truck’s shawarmas come with a choice of three homemade sauces – sweet hot sauce, garlic mayo or yoghurt and mint.

The hot sauce runs a little too sweet for my taste, but the heat it provides is a welcome addition to the shawarma.

A shawarma sitting in a box on a table. — Aside from being tasty, the shawarmas are also healthy. Image: Jacob Smith/DC Thomson

And those who like the sound of the shawarma will have many opportunities to try it over the coming months.

During summer, Troff on The Go food truck will be serving up shawarma across Fife, Tayside and beyond, including Silverburn Street Food Festival in Leven on Saturday June 28 and Saturday August 30.

The food truck will also be in St Monans during July and St Andrews in August.

Not only shawarma at food truck in Fife

“We’ve gone from just doing the chicken shawarma to getting a bit more creative. Now we cater to vegetarians, people who are gluten-free, dairy-free, vegans,” Will says.

The current menu also includes falafel salad (£5), chicken salad (£7) and loaded fries that can be topped with either (you guessed it) chicken or falafel (£10).

On occasion, Will serves smash burgers and morning rolls.

A woman holding a falafel salad. — The falafel salad was surprisingly filling. Image: Jacob Smith/DC Thomson

Of course, I try everything – barring the smash burgers and morning rolls, which Will isn’t offering on the day I visit.

While similar, each dish has its own high points.

The chicken-topped salad offers an array of moreish textures. I quickly demolish it. Thanks to the large pieces of falafel, the vegetarian salad is even more satisfying.

A tub filled with chips topped with chicken and sauces. — Pomegranate seeds featured prominently in several dishes. Image: Jacob Smith/DC Thomson

The chips are of a standard fast-food style. By themselves, they wouldn’t set the world alight. However, when topped with the sauces and chicken, the chips are transformed.

In this dish, the hot sauce’s sweetness is welcome. Acting like a fiery ketchup, it breathes life into the fried pieces of potato.

Fast food that’s tasty and healthy

Will’s daughter is currently studying nutrition at university.

As a result, he has a good understanding of his food’s nutritional values and is keen to share the information.

He tells me the chicken shawarma contains just 471 calories and an impressive 42g of protein.

A person holding several takeaway boxes stacked atop one another. — Troff on The Go’s food travels extremely well. Image: Jacob Smith/DC Thomson

While Troff on The Go’s food might not promise eternal youth, its rare combination of positive nutritional profiles and great flavours mean it is a holy grail of another kind.

And to think it was right under the knights’ noses all day long.