Taco Addicts needs a Caravan

By Amber Sturtz

PledgeMe.Project

Food,



NZ $16,523 pledged


182 people pledged


Closed


NZ $15,900 minimum target


100 100% Complete

This campaign was successful and closed on 13/05/2019 at 1:00 PM.

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About

Taco Addicts Needs A Caravan

Project 2019-04-01 11:54:25 +1300

Taco Addicts is a small, local business serving taco lovers around Wellington. Mostly a one-woman show, the owner Amber Sturtz creates delicious Austin style, Tex-Mex tacos for you, right here in Wellington.

The emphasis is on fresh, seasonal and local ingredients available in New Zealand. We value environmental responsibility, composting, and recycling whenever possible. We like to think we’re a food truck (currently without the truck) with a difference!

 

What makes Taco Addicts different?

 

Amber comes from Austin, Texas, and made New Zealand her home in 2005. During her career in travel & tourism, she dreamed of opening a taco truck in Wellington. She retrained to become a chef; worked in cafes, catering and a hotel, and in 2016 Taco Addicts was born.

 

My hometown of Austin is often considered the most taco-obsessed city in the USA. Throw a rock and you will most likely hit a taqueria.  

 

A lot of people have this idea that Tex-Mex is yellow cheese and sour-cream, ground beef and crispy taco shells. This isn't what Tex-Mex is to me. It's fresh, it's delicious, it's inspired by Mexico but it uses what is locally available.

 

the Unnamed Taco: caramelised onions, tofu choriz-no, oregano potatoes, shredded cabbage, Vegan Taco Sauce, salsa roja   Perky Pork and the Shredded Cowboy: both made with free range NZ raised meat   Chicken Verde on a corn tortilla (all handmade)

 

Lots of people ask - how are Austin style tacos different from those in Mexico?

Texas is close to Mexico, with a large Hispanic and Latin population, so it draws a lot of influence from various regions of Mexico. However it has developed its own distinct taco culture. In Texas you can get a BBQ taco because Texans love BBQ. Also, tacos in Austin are often served on a flour tortilla.

 

Here in NZ, I’ve tried to create a similar vibe, with a menu that always offers at least two plant-based options, because I was raised mostly vegetarian and love playing with my vegetables.  With Canterbury-grown wheat available here in NZ, we hand-make all of our tortillas. At events, we offer the option of a plain flour, wholemeal flour, or a corn tortilla (gluten free, yo) to contain your choice of fillings. The flour tortillas we make can also be bought at Moore Wilsons, along with the Salsa Roja that we put on all tacos.

 

Everything is handmade – from the tortilla to the salsa; to the spice mix on the “choriz-no”; to the shredded brisket; to the vegan taco sauce. If we can’t make it, e.g. feta, we try and find a great supplier who can, e.g. Zany Zeus.  We support local. We try to find the best ingredients. We only use free-range meat. We offer vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free and omnivore options.

 

I’ve never seen them before – Where is Taco Addicts?

 

Taco Addicts started by delivering ready to eat tacos to office workers during lunch times. Then we tried out the Underground Market below Frank Kitts Park. We moved to the Friday Night Market in Left Bank; as well as joining the Vegan Vault when it began two years ago. We set up at events such as Newtown Festival, Kapiti Food Fair, Aro Valley Fair, Cuba Dupa, Out in the Park, Karori Karnival, the Vegan Expo, etc.

 

Faces of Taco Addicts

 

Thumbs up for tacos   Vegan tacos, no mushrooms!  

More please

  Fellow Texan taco addicts   Regular customers make our day!
                 
Cuba Dupa 2018   Such happiness   More thumbs up for tacos  

Out in the Park 2018

  Vegan Vault tacos

 

Taco Addicts has been operating for 2½ years out of gazebos. This is exhausting! Tables, gazebos, weights, water, pans, burners, LPG bottles, Bain Maries, chilly bins full of food – all this needs to be loaded into a car, unloaded at the other side, set up, packed down, unloaded again. It can require two hours of set up and pack down at each event we do. Not to mention a breeze, the rain, the gale force winds that try and steal the gazebo while we’re trying to serve your tacos!

 

Thorndon Farmers Market   Sometimes it rains on us   Friday Night Market

 

Why do we want your money and where will it go?

 

We believe it’s time to make the move to bigger premises! We need a taco caravan! We want to keep most things the same – bring you the same awesome tacos, at the same wonderful events. However, with a caravan, we can bring you more tacos more often. We can offer Taco Tuesday lunch days around Wellington! We can save Amber’s body and wallet from hours of physio and acupuncture (leaving more time to make tacos)! We can create a job and hire a real person!

 

We have most of the equipment from under the gazebo. We need the caravan, as well as a bit of extra dosh to get it branded with the Taco Addicts slogan ‘seven days without a taco makes one weak’ as well as some colourful, eye-catching glitter (without the glitter because that is environmentally harmful). We’d also like to outfit the caravan with solar power to make it as energy efficient as possible.

 

Breakdown of your pledge money:

Caravan $12-15,000

Outfitting caravan for tacos $2000

Branding/wrap/painting $3000

Reward costs $3500

Solar panel outfit $3000 (stretch goal!)

(We know this doesn't add up - some of the above costs will come from us!)

 

In exchange for your hard earned cash, we’ve got 10-trip taco cards, ethically made aprons, take-home taco kits, salsa and tortillas, tote bags, the naming rights to new tacos, lunch delivery, cooking classes, wedding catering and more rewards to say THANKS WHANAU.

Comments

Updates

Hey! Thanks for checking out this project.

We haven't made any updates yet, follow us if you want to be notified when we do.

Pledgers 182

Sonya Cameron
09/05/2019 at 9:11pm
Andy Morgan
09/05/2019 at 8:41pm
Leo Smith
09/05/2019 at 5:50pm
Sarah Adams
09/05/2019 at 1:14pm
Mike
09/05/2019 at 4:32am

"Best of luck! Your close!"

Merryn McAulay
08/05/2019 at 9:57pm
Felipe
08/05/2019 at 9:51pm

"Viva los tacos! "

Toby Green
08/05/2019 at 4:58pm

"Hey Amber - Good luck with the Caravan! This is for two people (that's why I paid $110)"

Andrea
08/05/2019 at 12:37pm

"Can't wait to see you in your new taco-caravan! So excited for you!!"

Genevieve Janna Fitzsimmons
08/05/2019 at 11:31am
Anonymous pledger
08/05/2019 at 9:02am
David McGahan
07/05/2019 at 10:09am
Samantha Rae Jones
07/05/2019 at 9:15am

"Yay! Congrats on your campaign =) "

sofia
07/05/2019 at 6:44am

"Amazing work Amber! Can’t wait to visit the caravan!!"

Derek
06/05/2019 at 11:15pm
Maia Miller
06/05/2019 at 10:57pm

"Yum! "

Toni Gardiner
06/05/2019 at 9:46pm

"Goooo taco caravan! Love your work Amber 💚"

Gabrielle Anderson
06/05/2019 at 9:46pm
Jay Anderson
06/05/2019 at 8:32pm

"taco cat spelled backwards is taco cat."

Niamh
06/05/2019 at 7:40pm
Anonymous pledger
06/05/2019 at 7:28pm
Melissa Jayne
06/05/2019 at 6:37pm
Stevie Kaye
06/05/2019 at 5:03pm
Christine Anderson
06/05/2019 at 4:12pm
Fiona Clark
06/05/2019 at 3:59pm
Corinne McDaniels
06/05/2019 at 3:53pm

"<3"

Rebecca Stewart
06/05/2019 at 3:12pm

"Go Amber! You can do it!!"

Lisa Forbes
06/05/2019 at 2:28pm

"All the best Amber, Wellington needs you to have a caravan!!"

David
06/05/2019 at 1:17pm

"Good luck with the business."

Lisa Glapion-Bey
06/05/2019 at 4:51am

"I am so proud of you Amber. I wish I had more! I hope all your dreams come true! -Love you! P.S. I hope you still have time to hula hoop! "

Followers 3

Followers of Taco Addicts needs a Caravan

Taco Addicts Needs A Caravan

Project 2019-04-01 11:54:25 +1300

Taco Addicts is a small, local business serving taco lovers around Wellington. Mostly a one-woman show, the owner Amber Sturtz creates delicious Austin style, Tex-Mex tacos for you, right here in Wellington.

The emphasis is on fresh, seasonal and local ingredients available in New Zealand. We value environmental responsibility, composting, and recycling whenever possible. We like to think we’re a food truck (currently without the truck) with a difference!

 

What makes Taco Addicts different?

 

Amber comes from Austin, Texas, and made New Zealand her home in 2005. During her career in travel & tourism, she dreamed of opening a taco truck in Wellington. She retrained to become a chef; worked in cafes, catering and a hotel, and in 2016 Taco Addicts was born.

 

My hometown of Austin is often considered the most taco-obsessed city in the USA. Throw a rock and you will most likely hit a taqueria.  

 

A lot of people have this idea that Tex-Mex is yellow cheese and sour-cream, ground beef and crispy taco shells. This isn't what Tex-Mex is to me. It's fresh, it's delicious, it's inspired by Mexico but it uses what is locally available.

 

the Unnamed Taco: caramelised onions, tofu choriz-no, oregano potatoes, shredded cabbage, Vegan Taco Sauce, salsa roja   Perky Pork and the Shredded Cowboy: both made with free range NZ raised meat   Chicken Verde on a corn tortilla (all handmade)

 

Lots of people ask - how are Austin style tacos different from those in Mexico?

Texas is close to Mexico, with a large Hispanic and Latin population, so it draws a lot of influence from various regions of Mexico. However it has developed its own distinct taco culture. In Texas you can get a BBQ taco because Texans love BBQ. Also, tacos in Austin are often served on a flour tortilla.

 

Here in NZ, I’ve tried to create a similar vibe, with a menu that always offers at least two plant-based options, because I was raised mostly vegetarian and love playing with my vegetables.  With Canterbury-grown wheat available here in NZ, we hand-make all of our tortillas. At events, we offer the option of a plain flour, wholemeal flour, or a corn tortilla (gluten free, yo) to contain your choice of fillings. The flour tortillas we make can also be bought at Moore Wilsons, along with the Salsa Roja that we put on all tacos.

 

Everything is handmade – from the tortilla to the salsa; to the spice mix on the “choriz-no”; to the shredded brisket; to the vegan taco sauce. If we can’t make it, e.g. feta, we try and find a great supplier who can, e.g. Zany Zeus.  We support local. We try to find the best ingredients. We only use free-range meat. We offer vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free and omnivore options.

 

I’ve never seen them before – Where is Taco Addicts?

 

Taco Addicts started by delivering ready to eat tacos to office workers during lunch times. Then we tried out the Underground Market below Frank Kitts Park. We moved to the Friday Night Market in Left Bank; as well as joining the Vegan Vault when it began two years ago. We set up at events such as Newtown Festival, Kapiti Food Fair, Aro Valley Fair, Cuba Dupa, Out in the Park, Karori Karnival, the Vegan Expo, etc.

 

Faces of Taco Addicts

 

Thumbs up for tacos   Vegan tacos, no mushrooms!  

More please

  Fellow Texan taco addicts   Regular customers make our day!
                 
Cuba Dupa 2018   Such happiness   More thumbs up for tacos  

Out in the Park 2018

  Vegan Vault tacos

 

Taco Addicts has been operating for 2½ years out of gazebos. This is exhausting! Tables, gazebos, weights, water, pans, burners, LPG bottles, Bain Maries, chilly bins full of food – all this needs to be loaded into a car, unloaded at the other side, set up, packed down, unloaded again. It can require two hours of set up and pack down at each event we do. Not to mention a breeze, the rain, the gale force winds that try and steal the gazebo while we’re trying to serve your tacos!

 

Thorndon Farmers Market   Sometimes it rains on us   Friday Night Market

 

Why do we want your money and where will it go?

 

We believe it’s time to make the move to bigger premises! We need a taco caravan! We want to keep most things the same – bring you the same awesome tacos, at the same wonderful events. However, with a caravan, we can bring you more tacos more often. We can offer Taco Tuesday lunch days around Wellington! We can save Amber’s body and wallet from hours of physio and acupuncture (leaving more time to make tacos)! We can create a job and hire a real person!

 

We have most of the equipment from under the gazebo. We need the caravan, as well as a bit of extra dosh to get it branded with the Taco Addicts slogan ‘seven days without a taco makes one weak’ as well as some colourful, eye-catching glitter (without the glitter because that is environmentally harmful). We’d also like to outfit the caravan with solar power to make it as energy efficient as possible.

 

Breakdown of your pledge money:

Caravan $12-15,000

Outfitting caravan for tacos $2000

Branding/wrap/painting $3000

Reward costs $3500

Solar panel outfit $3000 (stretch goal!)

(We know this doesn't add up - some of the above costs will come from us!)

 

In exchange for your hard earned cash, we’ve got 10-trip taco cards, ethically made aprons, take-home taco kits, salsa and tortillas, tote bags, the naming rights to new tacos, lunch delivery, cooking classes, wedding catering and more rewards to say THANKS WHANAU.

Comments

Hey! Thanks for checking out this project.

We haven't made any updates yet, follow us if you want to be notified when we do.

Sonya Cameron
09/05/2019 at 9:11pm
Andy Morgan
09/05/2019 at 8:41pm
Leo Smith
09/05/2019 at 5:50pm
Sarah Adams
09/05/2019 at 1:14pm
Mike
09/05/2019 at 4:32am

"Best of luck! Your close!"

Merryn McAulay
08/05/2019 at 9:57pm
Felipe
08/05/2019 at 9:51pm

"Viva los tacos! "

Toby Green
08/05/2019 at 4:58pm

"Hey Amber - Good luck with the Caravan! This is for two people (that's why I paid $110)"

Andrea
08/05/2019 at 12:37pm

"Can't wait to see you in your new taco-caravan! So excited for you!!"

Genevieve Janna Fitzsimmons
08/05/2019 at 11:31am
Anonymous pledger
08/05/2019 at 9:02am
David McGahan
07/05/2019 at 10:09am
Samantha Rae Jones
07/05/2019 at 9:15am

"Yay! Congrats on your campaign =) "

sofia
07/05/2019 at 6:44am

"Amazing work Amber! Can’t wait to visit the caravan!!"

Derek
06/05/2019 at 11:15pm
Maia Miller
06/05/2019 at 10:57pm

"Yum! "

Toni Gardiner
06/05/2019 at 9:46pm

"Goooo taco caravan! Love your work Amber 💚"

Gabrielle Anderson
06/05/2019 at 9:46pm
Jay Anderson
06/05/2019 at 8:32pm

"taco cat spelled backwards is taco cat."

Niamh
06/05/2019 at 7:40pm
Anonymous pledger
06/05/2019 at 7:28pm
Melissa Jayne
06/05/2019 at 6:37pm
Stevie Kaye
06/05/2019 at 5:03pm
Christine Anderson
06/05/2019 at 4:12pm
Fiona Clark
06/05/2019 at 3:59pm
Corinne McDaniels
06/05/2019 at 3:53pm

"<3"

Rebecca Stewart
06/05/2019 at 3:12pm

"Go Amber! You can do it!!"

Lisa Forbes
06/05/2019 at 2:28pm

"All the best Amber, Wellington needs you to have a caravan!!"

David
06/05/2019 at 1:17pm

"Good luck with the business."

Lisa Glapion-Bey
06/05/2019 at 4:51am

"I am so proud of you Amber. I wish I had more! I hope all your dreams come true! -Love you! P.S. I hope you still have time to hula hoop! "

Followers of Taco Addicts needs a Caravan

This campaign was successful and got its funding on 13/05/2019 at 1:00 PM.