When a Highland man was attacked by an angry seagull while eating fish and chips, an idea came to him.
Chef Grant MacNicol now runs Angry Seagull Fish and Chips with his partner Magda Meredith.
The food van, which travels across the Highlands, begun in Dornoch last year and is now part of Highland Food and Drink Trail in Inverness.
Magda believes the brand has established itself this year and is on board with visions to attract more people to the Highland capital.
The Angry Seagull family
Magda said the idea has been in Grant’s heads for years – but it all came together when she told him she was pregnant.
She said: “Grant has been in the restaurant game for years and we met through work.
“We have a family together now – that’s really how this all came to fruition.
“The minute I told him I was pregnant he said ‘we have to get our hands on a food truck’.
“Grant wants to be their for our son at all times and having this family food truck certainly helps the balance.”
Magda said the name, which stemmed from Grant’s seagull encounter in Anstruther in Fife, has become an attraction in itself.
She added: “Grant has had the name on him for ages now and it’s so loved everywhere we go – we’ve even copyrighted it.
“It’s lovely to see you don’t have to be covered in tartan to succeed here.
“When he said to me about possibly doing merchandise with our brand I thought no one would want it.
“However he’s made me eat my own words, it has been really popular – we’ve even had orders from the likes of New York.”
A food van and some ‘big plans’
Magda said it has been a successful year for the business as she now looks at implementing new ideas in 2024.
Magda said: “Having only started last year we’ve really been able to establish ourselves now.
“We visit a lot of areas – Inverness, Nairn, Bonar Bridge and Rogart to name a few.
“I don’t want to tread on anyone’s toes but if people want us to go somewhere we will always try.
“It’s a really exciting time for businesses in the area. There are a lot of bodies, like Visit Inverness, who have really strong visions.
“I think previously there’s maybe been a bit of disconnect but now community sense is coming along.
“The next five years should really show we are capable of bringing in visitors all year round.”
Conversation