Member Spotlight: Emerald Eats

Emerald Eats was born after Emma Moran overheard the staff at the London Irish Centre saying the only thing you couldn’t find in London was a chicken fillet roll. She knew their pain all too well and decided to do something about it.

From a little stall at Broadway Market to BBC’s Saturday Kitchen, food trucks, stadiums, festivals, and corporate catering – it’s been quite the journey working with some of the UK and Ireland’s best vendors. Emma takes us back to where it all began and tells us what she’s learned along the way.

Take us back to where it all started and why you launched your own business?

I had lived in London for 10 years at the time, and missing our chicken fillet rolls and spice bags from home was something that came up in conversation all the time between myself and my friends. We had gone through a lot of restructurings in my current job at the time, so it felt like a good time to take a chance.

What must I try from your menu?

We have our food truck menu which is chicken fillet rolls/wraps, spice boxes and curry cheese chips, but we also do indoor catering as well, where we do pulled roast chicken wraps and salad boxes and really good lamb stews during the winter. I know I am biased, but it’s all delicious.

What do you love about working in the sector?

The people. I can never get over how lovely our customers are, but I didn’t realise how much I would love meeting the other traders and vendors. People are really selfless with their time, advice and support. Especially at the beginning when we were less experienced, everyone’s help was invaluable.

What do you find most challenging about the sector?

This is easy. The cost of trying to run your own business in the UK is nuts. 20% VAT, all our food costs have shot up, a lot of the time it is 30% commission at events, it is tough out there. It’s such a pity the government isn’t more supportive of independent businesses.

We know you met Dave Grohl this summer, but what celeb would you love to sit down for a pint and a spice bag with?

It is hard to top Dave Grohl, but if Brad Pitt wants to swing by, I will make sure we have our best roll ready!

What do you hope the future holds for the business? 

I would love to have multiple units running this summer at festivals. We are running multiple events at the moment around London, but if we could be doing different parts of the country at the same time that would be great.

Name a song you can’t help but dance in the kitchen to?

We listen to the Fontaines and CMAT a lot when we are all working and everyone is always dancing around. Now for a sing along that would be Crazy World by Aslan.

Guilty food pleasure?

Too many to choose from but I love all the food from Duck Shed and also, The RTG Kitchen’s food is amazing.

If you weren’t a chef, what would you be doing? 

I was working as a national account manager before so I would probably still be doing something similar.

What would your advice be to start-ups?

Just keep trying and don’t let a bad day put you off. There is a lot of help and support out there so try to learn from that as much as you can. Really try to keep your costs down as much as possible at the beginning and try not to quit your other job if you can until you’re a few months in and can gauge if your business will be profitable.

Favourite independents to eat at when you have day off?

I was obsessed with Sup Ya Ramen and was really sad when they closed, so I am over the moon they have reopened in Arcade Hall in Tottenham. There is also an amazing new Irish bar 353 Social in Tottenham Lane doing Taco fries and jambons that are out of this world. The Prince in Stoke Newington has an amazing menu, it’s my favourite place to go for a roast.

Why is independent hospitality so special?

Nothing is better than a great story and getting people together. Every independent hospitality business always has an amazing story and just offers something special. When you can meet friends, family and new people there, you can’t really beat it.

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