G’day! I’m Russ.
I've always loved my Parmas but struggled to find one in London that tasted as good as home. After a visit to Mrs Parma's in Melbourne back in 2013, I began to develop an idea to start a food truck. After years of working in Mchelin-starred restaurants and 5 star hotel restaurants, I decided it was time to start my own business.
this is is our van…
I discovered the ambulance on ebay one evening in 2018, and after a few beers I put a very low bid on it and didn't give it much thought. I woke up in the morning to find my bid had been accepted and the van was mine.
It needed a LOT of work. It had been sitting in a field for years and a family of birds had made a nest in the engine block. After months of cleaning it was sent to have the kitchen fitted in the rear.. After the kitchen was finished, we had a little pandemic, which meant I couldn't get it MOT'd or insured, and the logo stickers couldn't be finished as the materials needed to come from China.
In July 2022, we finally managed to launch the Parma van with our first event in Clapham.
and here are our parmas!
From a career spent managing Michelin starred and high end restaurants, I learnt that it's the quality of the raw ingredients that really make you stand out from the crowd.
We brine our chickens overnight before crumbing them using fresh free range eggs, panko breadcrumbs and cornflour. We fry them using non GM rapeseed oil, and change the oil regularly to ensure the best quality. The ham we use is Prosciutto Crudo, which gives so much better flavour than cheaper processed ham.
We’ve been making our own Chicken salt from day one, and it’s proved to be so popular that we sell shakers in the van.
Even the salad gets our love & attention with baby plum tomatoes, capers, finely diced red onion & a mixed selection of leaves.
