Member Spotlight: Gyro Guys

From lockdown pop-ups in pub car parks to serving at Villa Park and catering for some of the biggest names in business, Duncan MacLachlan and The Gyro Guys have come a long way in a short space of time.

Built on a passion for Greek gyros, community and a determination to keep pushing forward, the business has already picked up major recognition, including a win at the Midlands Food, Drink & Hospitality Awards. Now, The Gyro Guys are taking their journey to the next level, having reached the semi-finals of the prestigious British Kebab Awards.

We caught up with Duncan to talk about the journey so far, the people and communities that have helped shape the business, what makes The Gyro Guys different, and what the future holds as they set their sights on becoming a staple of the Midlands street food scene.

Congratulations on making it to the semi-finals of the British Kebab Awards! How does it feel to be recognised alongside some of the best kebab businesses in the country? 

It’s quite surreal, to be honest. To be invited to the Speaker of Parliament’s house, and to be in the same room as people you see on TV, didn’t feel real. I was sat on a train just thinking, “this isn’t real, what is going on?” We’re so proud to be noticed, you look at some of the names in the semi-finals with us and it’s filled with the biggest names in the UK. 

We’re really trying to push for this award, this is the top award for our cuisine, to be recognised as the Best Northern Takeaway in the British Kebab Awards would be an unforgettable achievement that neither of us would forget. 

You’ve described your journey as being about going further since winning at the Midlands Food, Drink & Hospitality Awards. What has the journey been like since that win, and how has the business evolved? 

Every time I think, “wow I don’t think we can take this much further” we somehow, outdo ourselves. It’s been 2 years since we won our first award, and I still remember the drive home, where me and my brother couldn’t stop smiling. It’s been a long journey, late nights, early mornings and a lot of days where I really think, “what am I doing?” But the feeling of standing on a stage, collecting an award which showcases all our hard work, makes every bad day worth it one thousand times over. 

You’ve mentioned the support from the Digbeth Dining Club and Bite Street communities. How important have those communities been in helping The Gyro Guys get to where you are today? 

We wouldn’t be anywhere without the communities we’re in. From our lockdown days of popping up in pub car parks (shoutout The New Inn, The Duke of York and The Arcade) to being in football stadiums such as Villa Park, the event organisers have given us the platform to showcase our talents and we couldn’t be more thankful. 

And to the traders, the people who give us all the best advice. Both of us are new to the big boys of the Midlands, the DDC crew and KERB. Traders have taken us under their wing and helped us in any way they can. Big shoutout to Rich from Fat Snags, who I like to think of as my cool street food uncle. 

For anyone who hasn’t tried The Gyro Guys yet, what do you think makes your food and your approach different? 

We take the iconic Greek Gyros and put our own twist on it. We still pay homage to the authentic cuisine, but we make it our own. Our own marinades, our own recipes and sauces to make us stand out from the crowd. 

You’ve teased a new trailer and a permanent location – can you give us a little insight into what’s coming next? 

We keep saying we want to go bigger and better. I’m still not allowed to talk about the permanent location, but we cannot wait to share it with you. 

We’re trying to push our business out as far as we can, another van goes a long way to that. We want to come a staple name in the Midlands street food scene, a name you hear and immediately start searching our Instagram to find out where we’re trading. 

Looking back at everything you’ve achieved so far, what are you most proud of?  

We’ve catered for some of the biggest companies in the world. Mercedes, British Gas, NEXT, Sky Sports, Avon, and even the FA. We both still chat about the day we met the England manager, Thomas Tuchel and had conversations with him about pizza and fried chicken, that was surreal.  

But it has to be winning the Midlands Food, Drink & Hospitality Awards. The feeling of getting home, showing the award to our parents, seeing their faces and their excitement, for us – it doesn’t get better than that… not just yet. We’ve said it for 2 years now, we want another award, we want to keep showcasing our food to new people and building one of the best street food businesses in the UK. 

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