A chef who opened a mobile kitchen in memory of his mother has told of his ambition to bring his business ‘everywhere’.

Andrew Dawson, 36, founded Maria’s Kitchen in 2021, and runs it alongside his partner, Jade Ismay.

Originally from Colchester, the pair are based out of an old food trailer, which is currently stationed in Felixstowe’s popular Beach Street.

It stocks a selection of Greek-inspired food, including gyros.

Andrew said: “I’ve been a chef for more than 20 years, and it has always been a dream to manage my own kitchen.

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“My mum died in 2019, so I thought I’d run this business in her honour, and named it after her.

“This means I have more of an emotional attachment to the kitchen and gives it a lovely story, showing it’s more than just a regular food truck. And when I get positive praise, I know it’s my mum’s name they’re complimenting, and that motivates me to continue.

“When we started the business, we wanted to attend as many events as we could as there are so many great ones around the Colchester area.”

Andrew said they brought their trailer to Beach Street in May, and the food had been very popular.

Beach Street’s stores are based inside old shipping containers, which he felt gave it a ‘Camden Market vibe’.

However, the kitchen is still based in the same trailer they’ve occupied for two years, owing to delays in moving into a container.

Andrew said: “For this reason we’ve not done as many events as we’d like this year. We thought we would be waiting a few weeks, but there have been delays, but we hope we’ll be set up soon.

“Getting a container is essential in our plans for expansion. Not only will it allow us to move our trailer out of the area for events, but may also allow us to buy more trailers and bring Maria’s Kitchen to the world.”

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Andrew said he didn’t want Maria’s Kitchen to be a ‘one-place wonder’ and wanted the freedom to set up anywhere, with a base at Beach Street.

He said their food was made using fresh, local ingredients.

However, he also wanted to put his own spin on Greek cuisine by using different items of food.

Expansion is the name of the game for the pair.

Andrew added: “Right now, due to space, it’s only me and Jade working. We already do great things with limited room and I’m proud of our work.

“I like to imagine what we can do with a significantly larger unit. It’ll allow us to make use of more people and serve more people.

“It’s my dream to see this business everywhere, which is a dream that can be accomplished.

“Many businesses from our area are now known in other parts of the country. Right now, we want to tick off our goals, and we want people to know we’re here.

“It’s only going to get bigger and better from here.”