Member Spotlight: Ember Food Truck

After just a year of trading, Ember has already made a major mark on Scotland’s street food scene, taking home the title of Scottish Street Food Awards Champion 2026 at The British Street Food Awards. Built around live-fire cooking, charcoal and a passion for restaurant-quality food, the business has grown from one chef’s ambition into an award-winning venture.

Behind Ember is a chef with more than 20 years’ experience who has put everything into building the business from the ground up. From the challenges of running a food business single-handedly to the recognition that came with success at both Scottish and British level, it has been a remarkable first year.

We caught up with Ember’s founder – Duncan McLachlan – to talk about the inspiration behind the concept, the craft of live-fire cooking, the realities of building a business from scratch, and what the future holds after an extraordinary year.

Congratulations on becoming Scottish Street Food Awards Champion 2026! How does it feel?

It still feels quite surreal. Ember had only been trading for around a year when we entered, so to be named Scottish Champion among so many brilliant and established traders was incredibly special. I’ve put everything into building the business, so the win gave me a huge sense of validation and made all the difficult days feel worthwhile.

Ember started with the idea of bringing restaurant-quality live-fire cooking to street food. Where did that idea come from?

I’ve worked as a chef for more than 20 years, and when I set up my own business, I wanted to use that experience to create something different from a conventional food truck.

The idea was to combine the quality, care and techniques you would expect in a restaurant with the accessibility and atmosphere of street food. Building Ember around a charcoal grill and wood-fired oven allowed me to create food that feels distinctive while still being relaxed and approachable.

What is it about cooking over charcoal and live fire that makes such a difference to the food?

Live fire creates flavours and textures that are incredibly difficult to reproduce using conventional equipment. The smoke, caramelisation and intensity of the heat all add depth, but it also requires you to cook instinctively because the fire is constantly changing.

It’s also an important part of the experience. Customers can see and smell the food cooking over charcoal and wood, which creates theatre and connects them to the cooking process.

You’ve built Ember from the ground up over the past year. What’s been the biggest challenge along the way?

The biggest challenge has been running every aspect of the business myself. I’m not only cooking, I’m developing menus, buying ingredients, preparing food, towing and setting up the unit, managing staff, answering enquiries, handling administration and looking after the finances.

Balancing all of that with family life and two young children can be extremely difficult. There have been many long days and very little sleep, but I’ve learned an enormous amount and I’m proud of how far Ember has come.

How much does winning the award mean after all the long days and late nights?

It means a huge amount. When you’re working alone and completely immersed in the day-to-day running of a business, it can be difficult to step back and recognise what you’ve achieved.

Winning the Scottish award reassured me that the concept works and that people understand what I’m trying to create. Following that with Best Sandwich and runner-up overall at the British Street Food Awards has made me even more determined to keep developing Ember.

What’s next for Ember?

The aim is to keep improving, build on the momentum from these awards and introduce Ember to a wider audience. I want to continue developing the food, take on more carefully selected events, and grow the private and wedding side of the business without losing the quality or identity that makes Ember special. There may even be a small bricks-and-mortar Ember on the horizon.

After coming so close at the British final, I’m also determined to return next year better prepared and challenge for the overall title.

Follow Ember:

Facebook

Instagram